Chapter 60 A Blade Beneath The Smile

• The penthouse felt too quiet.
• Ariana paced near the floor-to-ceiling windows; arms crossed tightly over her chest. Below, the city flickered like a thousand tiny lies pretending to be stars. She hated this part, the waiting. The knowing something was coming and being forced to stand still while it did.
• Behind her, Damien was on a call with Cole, his voice low but clipped. Every few seconds, his eyes flicked to her, as if he were checking to make sure she hadn’t vanished.