Chapter 109

Clara’s POV

It had been more than a week now, and I’d been carrying this secret all on my own. Every waking moment, I felt the urge to blurt it out—to share it with someone, anyone—but I managed to hold it in. From the very beginning, I’d expected Julian to release Lyra almost immediately. After all, she was conscious, unharmed as far as I knew. Yet here we were, seven days later, and she still hadn’t been set free. I found myself wondering: what if Julian wasn’t the one keeping her captive? What if Lyra was staying there on her own accord?

Curiosity gnawed at me until I decided I couldn’t wait any longer. I arranged to visit Julian at his office, determined to learn the truth about Lyra’s continued absence. Later that afternoon, I climbed into a taxi and gave the driver the address. The city traffic crawled along as though it had something against me. Finally, we reached the tall glass building where Julian’s company was headquartered. I paid the fare and stepped