The late afternoon sun dipped low over Paris as Eleanor and Julian rode in the back of the company Mercedes, the leather seats cool against her skin.
The day at Vosstech had been a gauntlet with dodging Rhys's calculated gestures, enduring the echo of his words in that empty conference room.
Her head throbbed with it all, and now Julian's sudden insistence on a quick errand felt like one more demand on her fraying edges.
He sprung it on her as they left the office, his voice casual over the phone. "Routine checkup at the clinic. Nothing major. just a once and it's over. Doctor's orders after that long week."
Eleanor had relented, too exhausted to argue, sliding into the car beside him without protest.
The private hospital in the 16th arrondissement was discreet, a haven for the ci
