I woke up to sunlight streaming through the window, but the heaviness in my chest remained.

My eyes drifted to the floor. The shattered remains of my phone were gone. The carpet had been cleaned. It was as if Tyler’s call—and Lucien’s terrifying display of strength—had never happened.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," I croaked.

Mrs. Higgins entered, her face as stern as ever. She held a sleek black box in her hands.

"From Monsieur Aurelien," she said, placing it on the ...