Chapter 5: Unveiling Secrets

The Parisian air, usually a balm to my frayed nerves, felt thick with unspoken things. It clung to me like the scent of expensive perfume, a beautiful façade over something far more potent, far more dangerous. I sat across from Boss in a dimly lit café, the clinking of silverware and hushed French conversations a distant hum. He’d summoned me, his usual easy confidence replaced by a gravity that settled between us like a shroud.

“Nomie,” he began, his voice a low rumble that sent a tremor through me, “we need to talk about him.”

The mention of *him*—the shadow that had stalked my steps from across the ocean—sent a jolt of ice through my veins. I nodded, my throat tight. “What about him, Boss?”