Jasmine's POV
The mirror in my apartment stared back at me like it knew too much.
I pressed a wet towel against my face, trying to wash away the weight of The Velvet Crown, Leonard's warnings, and that masked stranger's words.
"You're in more danger than you realize, Nyx."
The sentence clung to me like smoke.
My hands trembled as I pressed them flat against the sink. I hated it… the weakness, the fear that seeped into my bones when I was alone. But worse than that? The doubt.
Doubt about Ares. Doubt about what I was even chasing anymore.
I ripped open my clutch and dumped everything onto the marble counter: lip gloss, flash drive, phone, receipts. The flash drive glared at me under the light, like a mocking reminder of Crestfall's poison.
My phone buzzed again. A message. No name, just a burner number.
"Midnight. The Docks. Come alone. Bring cash. You'll get what you want."
