of glass and shadow. The car glides through iron gates;

The air smells of rain and salt. A butler greets her with

beautiful in the way storms are beaut

stands when she enters, his black shirt rolled a

" he says.

for the i

Plea

file sits open before him-project outlines, ch

ns. "You'll have full access to the acc

lenge: Can you handle seein

that," she say

lse of silence stretc

te to work this clo

" Isabella adds before she e

don't min

understanding

"Then perhaps you'

*

r offices, exchange polite fragments t

training in the distance-security staff or something less official. The sou

e," he says. "People follow rules bette

l, but she feels t

dation dealt in cha

needs pro

not his office, but she holds back her question in order

Protection or power-maybe they're the s

onversation flows around neutral topics: economic forecasts, gallery events, literature neither of them truly read

ders, Is he testing me, or

the restroom. The butler gestures down a hallway

hout cut short. Instinct halts her. She should

ith steel shelving. Adrian stands inside, back to her, sleeves rolled higher n

uiet, controlled. "

r. Ste

sharp sound-nothing d

e precision of Adrian's movements, the certainty of his control, catches he

she thinks. So why does he look so calm? W

ore he sees her, heart hammering, almost running down the corrido

her there. No one tell

pale," h

smile. "It's

humb brushing her cheek where color should

says softl

fore her isn't the executioner from the shad

Some things you see here may uns

ot to," she

ld doesn't for

his footsteps fading

the silence. You wanted proof of his darkness. You found it. So w