The sun dipped low outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting an amber glow across the marble floor. The skyline glittered beyond, but inside the penthouse, the air was heavy, tight, and filled with a silence that felt like it might crack at any second.

Kingsley sat on the edge of the leather couch, elbows on his knees, staring at the untouched glass of water on the coffee table. He heard the elevator chime.

He didn't look up.

He ...