~LAUREN'S POV ~

I couldn't stop pacing.

Back and forth across the hardwood floors of the safe house, my bare feet silent against the cold surface. The silver dress I'd worn to the gala lay discarded on a chair, replaced by a silk nightgown someone had thoughtfully left for me.

My phone remained clutched in my hand, screen dark and silent. No messages. No calls. Nothing since those threatening texts from Viktor.

I moved to the window, pushing aside the heavy curtain with one finger to peer into the darkness.

The safe house was somewhere in upstate New York—Antonio had been deliberately vague about our exact location.

A stunning lake...