Night settled over Aurelia City with the quiet confidence of a place that understood its own importance.
The financial district looked different after sunset. During the day it belonged to movement—people in suits moving between towers, traffic weaving through intersections, the steady pulse of commerce that kept the city alive. At night the pace slowed, but the buildings remained awake, their glass surfaces reflecting lights that never seemed to dim.
Jake parked along a wide street two blocks away from the address Adrian had sent him.
The place itself didn't advertise loudly. There was no glowing sign announcing the club's name to anyone passing by. Instead the building looked almost deliberately understated—a tall structure with dark glass windows and polished stone framing the entrance. Two luxury cars sat idling near the curb while a third rolled away slowly, the driver easing into traffic with the patience of someone used to waiting for the world to make room.
