Chapter 7: Forced Proximity

The lockdown klaxon sounded across Sector Four just as Damien intervened, its piercing wail echoing off the stone buildings. Automatic security shutters slammed down across the trading post’s perimeter, sealing the main thoroughfares and trapping visitors inside designat

Chapter 8: Cracking the Gilded Façade

The morning sun cast long, sharp shadows across the polished marble floors of the Blackthorn administrative wing. In his private office, Damien Blackthorn stood by the tall, arched windows, his eyes fixed on the courtyard below, though his mind was entirely occ

Chapter 9: The Panic of the Climber

The panic that seized Ethan Cross was absolute and suffocating. Within minutes of receiving the council summons, he was pounding on the private side-entrance of Vivienne Laurent’s estate, his usual arrogant swagger completely shattered by the specter of impending