Page 58 of The Devil's Thorn
Then— the static in my ear clicks again, faint.
“Isa…? You there?”
Another crackle.
“Signal’s dropping—he’s got blockers. You’ll lose it any seco?—”
And then— silence. Dead.
The feed cuts completely.
The earpiece goes still in my ear.
My stomach twists.
Of course Rafael Romanov would have signal blockers in his private suite. No cameras. No recordings. No interruptions.
Just him.
And whoever he brings in.
The elevator slows, and my breath stills.
Whatever this is… it’s starting now.
The doors open with a soft chime. A wide corridor greets us—black marble floors, matte charcoal walls, soft lighting. Minimalist. Cold. Silent.
And at the end of it, Rafael’s penthouse.
He walks ahead, fingers slipping into his pocket, pulling out a keycard. The door unlocks with a muted click, and he pushes it open.
Without turning around, without a glance, without a word— he steps aside. Just enough to let me in.
And I walk past him— straight into the lion’s den.
The door shuts behind me with a soft click. The sound carries more weight than it should—final, definitive, like a line’s just been drawn in ink behind my heels.
Rafael’s penthouse is a world apart from the casino below. It’s colder. Quieter. More controlled.
Floor-to-ceiling windows look out across the skyline, the city sprawled in glittering pieces below like someone shattered a chandelier over the streets. The room itself is steel and stone—concrete walls, black furniture, art that doesn’t soothe, justsits.Watching.
Everything here is curated. Sharp edges dressed in wealth. A space built for a man who doesn’t allow accidents.
I stay near the entrance, my hands clasped lightly in front of me, eyes scanning every inch of the room with practiced calm.
He doesn’t speak. Just walks to the bar.
The clink of crystal.
The faint pour of liquid.
That’s all.
He moves like a man without rush. Like he has all the time in the world to break me open.
When he finishes pouring, he glances at me once, then slides a second glass forward across the marble counter in my direction.
Still doesn’t speak.
