The executive penthouse of Vanguard Hospitality was a sanctuary of glass, steel, and quiet power. At eleven o'clock at night, the city below stretched out like a glittering grid of diamonds and gold, the chaotic noise of the streets reduced to a distant, muffled hum.

Inside the massive corner offi

The morning sun bled through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Vanguard Hospitality’s executive level, casting long, sharp shadows across the marble floors. It was 7:30 AM. In exactly ninety minutes, the emergency board meeting would commence.

Sienna Vance stood in front of the sweeping glass doors

The heavy glass doors of Conference Room B clicked shut. Sienna stood in the carpeted hallway, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm against her ribs. The adrenaline was a high-voltage current in her veins, making her fingertips tingle. She had done it. She had looked the monster in the eye and hadn't