sleep. No

But it wasn't the kind of sleep that leaves you rested. It was the heavy kind...the kind where your brain won't

ough the curtains, casting long gray shadows across the floor. I blinked up at the ceiling, disoriented for a moment b

se he does that easily. CEO. Billionaire. Predator in three-piece suit. And you hardly see him. Rarely. I can count the num

fled barefoot to the thermostat and cranked the heat up a few notches, rubbing my arms for warmth. The air

t sounded how I felt...overworked, bitter, and ready to explode at the slightest provocation. Th

ught the name, I lunged for the remote and shut it off. I didn't want to hear his name. I didn't want to think about him. About the way Damian Thorne had stood in front of an entire boardroom

e like him. A man who treated empathy like a weakness and secrets like currency. A man who could kill a

sing to fog my glasses. The warmth of the coffee didn't quite reach the

ible. Maybe one of my old contacts at ArgentCorp was hiring, or even Windmere Investments. I didn't care if it mean

hen the knock came. Three sharp raps, making me shift. I checked the time. 6:53 a.m. Too early for packages, and for anyone s

slowly, blood humming in my ears as I moved tow

d out, trying to sou

voice - low, male, and smooth a

ed. "Who'

." Every muscle in my bod

lready backing away. "Tell Mr

as still calm, almost too calm. Like

lway. Heavy and sharp, like something slamming into the wall just outside my door. My bre

I called agai

and peered through the peephole, only to find the hallway empty. There was no man, no movement or elevat

g. My heart was still racing, and my mind was reeling with questions. Who was this pe

ks, and made another cup of coffee I didn't drink. The world felt off-

unease. I tried to focus on job applications, but

with TV and books, but nothing seemed to hold my attention. The silence in the apartm

mist I couldn't escape. Eyes followed me through every corridor in the dreamscape, glowing faintly gold. I k

ely

in sweat. My room was qui

ve tingling. I crossed the room slowly, dread crawling up my spine. There, slipped neatly under the door, was

oo

ound. There was no return address, n

it, not yet. The card radiated something... wrong.

he security downstairs. And I didn't know what 'soon' was supposed

r was coming my way. But as I stood there, frozen in fear and unc