The city at 4:00 AM is a skeleton of light and shadow, stripped of the glamour that masks its cruelty during the day.

Selene moved through the penthouse with the precision of a ghost. She didn't take much—only a small leather weekend bag, her passport, and the gold-plated thumb drive that had shattered her world. She left the emerald earrings on the vanity and the red dress crumpled on the floor like a bloodstain. The only piece of Silas she kept was the diamond on her left hand, a heavy weight that felt more like a shackle than a vow.