The rain hit the window like a relentless drumbeat, each drop a cold reminder of the storm raging inside Blythe’s chest. Outside, the city drowned in darkness, the streets slick with water that reflected twisted shadows from flickering streetlamps. Inside the penthouse, the air was thick with unspoken fears, secrets hovering like ghosts just out of reach.
Blythe paced the room, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor, a brittle echo in the silent space. The conversation from hours before still haunted her mind—Everett’s voice low, cold, a predator’s promise veiled beneath his calm tone. The way he looked at her, as if she were a puzzle he was both desperate and determined to solve. That look unsettled her more than she wanted to admit.
She stopped at the window, staring out i
