Lirael's POV

I stood on the balcony, the penthouse lights casting a sterile glow around me as I clutched the whiskey glass, its coldness seeping into my palm. The cityscape sprawled before me, Wright Plaza a distant echo of the night Nathan had delivered the news of Dad’s arrest. Just like then, the lights burned bright in his office, a beacon of the relentless pursuit we shared.

A gnawing doubt coiled in my gut. Was this the life we had craved? The endless nights, the relentless climb, the ...