The elevator ride to the third floor feels suffocating. Victor Thorne stands beside me, his hands trembling slightly as he grips a leather briefcase. The fear radiating from him is almost palpable.
Chloe keeps glancing between us, clearly trying to process what just happened downstairs. The boutique incident already feels like a lifetime ago.
"Here we are," Victor says as the doors open.
The café is nearly empty, just a few businesspeople hunched over laptops. Victor chooses a corner table, away from prying eyes and ears. His bodyguards position themselves near the entrance.
"Coffee?" Victor asks, but his voice is strained.
"Just get to the point," I tell him, settling into the chair across from him. Chloe sits beside me, her presence oddly comforting.
Victor's Adam's apple bobs as he swallows hard. He opens his briefcase with shaking fingers and pulls out a manila folder.
"Dr. Knight, the pills you gave me six months ago... they're wearing off."
