Julian was still sitting in the dark of his office, his head resting on the desk, when his phone buzzed violently against the wood.

He groaned, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes to stop the room from spinning. The scotch was sitting heavy and sour in his stomach. He didn't want to look

The email arrived at 4:00 PM, precisely two hours before dinner service was supposed to begin.

Julian Thorne sat in the suffocating silence of his dark office, staring at the glowing screen of his laptop. His eyes were bloodshot, the harsh blue light illuminating the tear tracks dried on his cheek

Six months later.

The high-pitched whine of a power drill echoed down the busy, sunlit street. Clara Vance stood on the pristine sidewalk, a steaming cup of artisan coffee in her hands, watching a crew of construction workers drill thick sheets of plywood over the large glass windows of the buildi