The rain was lashing against the floor-to-ceiling windows of the penthouse when Julian and Elise burst through the front door.

"Clara!" Julian’s voice tore through the expansive, minimalist living room, raw with panic and fury. "Clara, get out here right now!"

Clara was already in the master bedr

The black Rolls-Royce Phantom glided through the rain-slicked streets of Manhattan, finally pulling to a smooth halt in front of a restored brick warehouse in Tribeca. There was no signage on the exterior, only a sleek, unmarked frosted glass door that glowed faintly in the early morning darkness.

The basement laboratory of Thorne Empire had been hastily redecorated overnight. The scuffed laminate desks had been replaced with sleek, mirrored tables, and the flickering fluorescent bulbs had been swapped out for soft, flattering ring lights. Julian had even ordered the maintenance staff to spra