ADRIEN'S POV
(A Month Ago)
The weight of the city pressed against the bulletproof glass of my study, a muted tapestry of distant sirens and the ceaseless hum of a world I commanded. Inside, the only sounds were the rustle of papers and the soft clink of ice as Cameron swirled the amber liquid in his tumbler.
We were doing what we always did on a Tuesday night: dissecting the world we controlled. Spreadsheets detailing shipping logistics that weren't entirely legal, security reports on rival families who were getting too bold, and acquisition portfolios for companies that didn't yet know they were for sale. It was a language Cam and I had spoken since we were teenagers, a dialect of numbers, risk, and ruthless strategy.
