Isabella's POV
The morning light poured through the glass walls of the penthouse, sharp and pale, like a truth she didn't want to face.
Sebastian's note sat untouched on the counter, the handwriting so precise it almost hurt to look at, Had to leave early. Don't go out today.
She tried to obey.
She really did.
But the text from Liam wouldn't stop echoing in her mind.
It's about Project Eden and about him.
Her pulse hadn't stopped racing since she read it.
Now, hours later, she stood in the parking lot behind an old café on the east side of town, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might betray her. The scent of rain clung to the air, the world gray and tense.
Liam arrived moments later, tall, lean, his eyes flicking around like a man used to watching for ghosts.
"Isabella," he said in a low voice, "you shouldn't have come."
"I almost didn't," she admitted, arms wrapped protectively around her middle. "But you said it was about Sebastian. Tell me what's going on."
