Blackwood Penthouse - Saturday Morning - 4:47 AM
Emily hadn't slept. She'd tried, lying in bed beside Timothy for hours, but every small sound made her tense. Every creak of the building settling, every distant siren, every movement from the security team patrolling the penthouse..all of it kept her nerves on high alert.
Finally, she gave up and slipped out of bed quietly, pulling on comfortable clothes. The penthouse was dimly lit, emergency protocols still in effect. Sebastian sat at the security monitors, his posture alert despite the early hour.
"Couldn't sleep?" Sebastian asked without turning around.
"How did you know it was me?" Emily asked.
"Thor didn't react," Sebastian said. "He knows your footsteps. Anyone else, he'd have been on his feet already."
Thor lay near Sebastian's chair, lifting his head to acknowledge Emily before settling back down. Even the dog was on guard duty.
"Any activity overnight?" Emily asked, moving to look at the monitors.
