The burner phone Julian had given me felt like a live wire in my hand, humming with the residual energy of Damian’s voice. “I’m coming to take back what’s mine.” The words echoed in the sterile silence of the room, a promise that was as much a comfort as it was a threat.
I did exactly what he told me to do. With trembling hands, I pushed the heavy, mahogany dresser in front of the door. It screeched against the polished floor, the sound feeling loud enough to wake the entire estate. My breath hitched as I waited, listening for footsteps in the hallway, but the house remained eerily still. Outside, the storm had reached its peak. Thunder shook the glass walls, and lightning illuminated the dark forest of pines surrounding the property, making the trees look like jagged claws reaching for t
