The rain hit the glass walls of the penthouse like a handful of gravel.

I pulled the sleeves of the oversized black button-down shirt down to my wrists.

It belonged to Aries Thorne, and on my plus-sized frame, the hem reached my knees.

My own blouse was downstairs in the workshop, soaked in the chemical reagent I had used to test his collar.

I clutched the custom Egyptian cotton shirt I had spent eighty hours tailoring for him.

The fabric felt heavy in my hands, almost oily.

Aries sat in the shadows of the massive, low-lit living room.

He kept his eyes half-closed, his acute sensitivity to light and sound dictating the dimness of his world.

Killian Vale stood near the double doors, his hand resting near his holster, his eyes scanning the corners.

“You shouldn’t be up here, Sienna,” Killian said, his voice low and steady.

“I had to come,” I said, my heart hammering against my ribs.

I marched past Killian and stopped three feet from Aries’s leather armchair.

Aries did not flinch, but his long fingers tightened on the armrest.

“Explain,” Aries said.

His voice was a quiet rasp, barely louder than the storm outside.

“This shirt,” I said, holding up the crisp white garment. “The thread in the inner collar. It isn’t pure silk.”

“I pay for silk,” Aries murmured.

“Someone treated the fibers with a transdermal nerve agent,” I said.

The room went entirely silent, save for the rain.

“It mimics a slow-acting cardiac arrest,” I continued, my voice trembling. “As you sweat, the warmth of your skin absorbs it.”

Killian took a step forward, his jaw tightening.

“That is impossible,” Killian said. “The fabric was vetted by my team.”

“I ran the test twice,” I said, showing him my fingers, which were still stained with the purple testing dye. “Someone in your supply chain bypassed your security, Killian.”

Aries opened his eyes.

They were sharp, pale, and entirely focused on me.

“Who delivered the thread?” Aries asked.

“It came from the main distributor in the shipyard,” I said. “The shipment that arrived yesterday.”

Aries leaned forward, the shadows sliding off his face.