Chapter 3

The silence in the Grand Hall was heavier than the humid air had been during the day. Now, stripped of the chaotic energy of hundreds of tourists, the science museum felt like a cathedral of cold, hard facts, waiting for us to disrupt its order. The overhead lights had dimmed to a low, ambient glow, casting long, distorted shadows that stretched across the polished concrete floors like grasping fingers. I stood near the entrance of the interactive physics wing, my breath catching in my throat as I watched him approach. He had removed his tie, loosening the collar of his crisp white shirt, exposing the strong column of his neck. He looked less like the CEO of a multinational conglomerate and more like a predator who had finally cornered his prey in a glass cage. "You’re shivering, baby girl," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that seemed to vibrate through the soles of my feet. He hadn’t asked if I was cold; he had simply stated it as an undeniable fact. I pulled my arms tighter around my chest, trying to ward off the chill that had nothing to do with the temperature. "I’m fine, Daddy. Just... tired." The