CHAPTER 76 — THE VOICE FROM THE PAST
The message did not leave Elena's thoughts for the rest of the afternoon.
It stayed with her through the final speeches at the symposium, through the polite applause and the staged photographs, through the hum of conversation that followed as donors and executives mingled beneath warm lighting and carefully curated optimism. Even as she smiled and exchanged pleasantries, a quiet part of her mind remained fixed on those four words.
We need to talk.
They were not threatening. They were not pleading.
They were precise.
By the time she returned to the Kane mansion, dusk had begun to settle over the estate. The sky burned briefly with the last traces of sunlight before surrendering to a deep, restless blue. Elena stepped out of the car slowly, her heels clicking softly against stone as security moved into position around her without instruction.
Adrian was already waiting inside.
