Chapter 4

I slept fitfully, tangled in a long, heavy dream. In it, I was falling—plunging into a bottomless abyss. Adrian reached down, slowly pulling me back toward light.

But just as I thought I was safe, he let go.

I woke with a start. My face was damp—tears, or sweat, I couldn't tell.

Adrian stood at the window, already dressed in his suit. He was tying his necktie, long fingers deft and precise.

Pale morning light filtered through the sheer curtains, scattering across his face in a shifting veil of gold and shadow.

I stared at him for a long moment,…