The crimson dot of the laser sight burned like an open wound against the crisp white fabric of Jupiter's shirt, right over his heart.
The hum of the weapon's battery was the only sound slicing through the suffocating, humid heat of the conservatory. The stark, silver moonlight poured through the massive glass arches, casting long, distorted shadows across the marble floorboards. Time itself seemed to have frozen solid the exact moment Ethan burst into the room with that glowing tablet, delivering the digital execution order.
Jupiter didn't flinch. He didn't drop the amber glass in his hand, though his large knuckles turned a stark, bloodless white against the crystal. The faint, arrogant smirk that had crossed his face moments earlier when he was taunting me evaporated entirely, replaced by a cold, calculating stillness. He didn't look at the red dot painted on his chest, nor did he look down the barrel of Asher's heavy sidearm.
