Chapter 164

• Jace sat at his office desk, fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished wood. The events of the past days played on a loop in his mind, leaving him restless and weary.
• He glanced at the clock, its ticking a constant reminder of the time he had lost. The knock on the door was a welcome distraction.
• “Come in,” he called, expecting a staff member or a routine interruption. When Avalynn stepped inside, his breath caught in his throat.