**Hayden's POV**
I woke up before my alarm, the chaos of the past few days settling on me like a physical thing. Sunlight streamed through my curtains, too bright, too normal, when nothing about my life felt normal anymore.
Dressing mechanically, I chose a simple blouse and slacks—professional armor for a day I already wanted to end. My bag sat by the door like a taunt. Just another Monday. Except it wasn’t.
The bus stop was empty. Too empty. My skin prickled, the new, unnerving awareness humming under my skin. They were out there—Silas’s people, watching. Guarding. The thought should’ve comforted me. Instead, it just made my chest ache.
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Blackwood Tower loomed, all gleaming glass and cold modernity. I forced a smile for Linda when she swooped by my desk, her perfume cloy
