The morning sun felt like a violent accusation as it streamed through the tall windows of Clara’s makeshift office.

She stood by her drafting table, staring blankly at a blueprint she hadn't touched in hours. Her lips were still swollen. Her skin still hummed with the phantom weight of Victor’s ha

The silence in the back of the armored SUV was deafening, save for the steady, rhythmic drumming of rain against the tinted glass. Clara Vance sat frozen, her knees pulled tight to her chest, her mind trapped in a violent loop.

*The shattering glass. The scream. The sickening thud.*

Victor Sterl

"You bought him."

Clara’s voice was a fragile, trembling whisper that threatened to shatter at any second. She pointed a shaking finger at the laptop screen, her eyes wide with horror as she backed away from the desk. "You bought Julian."

Victor stood by the door, entirely unbothered by the accus