Bella’s POV
I caught Julian’s eyes for just a split second. They were steady, dark, holding mine like he already knew I could do this. A tiny nod from him—that was all I needed. My chest tightened, but I pushed it down. Game time.
I turned and walked toward the heavy velvet curtain that hid Hale’s private room. My heels clicked sharp against the floor, each step echoing a little in my head. The thump of the club music got muffled the moment the door shut behind me, like someone turned the volume down on the whole club.
The room was a bit dark, only soft red lights glowing into room The air smelled like his cigar—thick, woody, and expensive. Thick carpet swallowed my footsteps as I moved straight to the desk by the window. There it was: his black leather briefcase, sitting exactly where
