Shrouded in Darkness Amidst The Huge Storm

A thunderstorm once again struck the city of Chicago that night. Lightning flashed across the sky, prompting residents who were still outside to rush home or choose to remain inside the buildings where they worked.

The Chicago Public Utilities Commission opted to shut off the power supply in several high-voltage areas to prevent short circuits that could lead to fires. This left nearly the entire city shrouded in darkness, with only a few areas that had independent power supplies still able to maintain light.

Just as the lights were turned off in his 50th-floor penthouse, Rayden carried the slender body once again toward his own bed. The woman had not yet regained consciousness from the effects of the chloroform she had inhaled in the United Center parking lot.

In the dim light of his room, illuminated only by the flashes of lightning streaking across the sky, the man slowly undressed Emily Carter.

To him, Emily was his woman, and he would always be connected to her, whether she lik