Julian pulled his hand back from Vivian Thorne's, the phantom chill of her touch lingering on his skin. He felt the weight of the legal document, the moral tightrope he had just agreed to walk. He had forged an alliance with a force as calculated and perhaps as dangerous as the enemy he faced, a pact born of necessity rather than trust. The city lights outside Vivian's office seemed to mock his sense of unease, glittering with cold, indifferent brilliance.
He left Thorne Tower, the air outside feeling brisk against his face, a welcome contrast to the stifling political atmosphere within. His driver, a silent figure in a dark suit, opened the car door. Julian slipped into the back seat of the armoured limousine, the soft leather seats offering a temporary sanctuary. He leaned his head agai
