The air in Rafael Vexley's office carried that rich scent of old leather and his expensive sandalwood cologne – the kind of smell that said power without needing words. Rain slammed against the tall windows, each drop adding to the restless energy in the room.
Eliana Bennett stood just inside the doorway, soaked to the bone. Her thin dress clung to her shivering frame as she hugged a damp towel to her chest, like it could protect her from the storm inside and out. Her big brown eyes flicked between the shining marble floor and the man by the window, fear and determination flickering together.
