es. She listened to the house. Wh

sizes too big. It hung off her frame, the gray fab

ed the d

awford wa

urity guards stood behind

rying to make herself small, trying

epped int

ac

precise, practiced. Hester's ring cau

ed to the side.

brought a hand to her face,

her purse and began to clean her hand, scrubbin

sational, chillingly calm. "Do not think for a second that my son

at the fl

d wipe into a nearby bin. "You are banned from the main win

reflex. A sur

walked away,

ster murmur to the guard as she wal

ped a beat, but

ement. It was louder here, the air thick with

the vending machine. They d

. "Senator Bowen just announc

selling his own daughter to pay off

ly. "A reminder of what happens when you cross a Crawford. I bet h

inst the wall. Her finge

they think? T

they saw her. She duck

out her thoughts. She walked to the nearest mach

cket. She felt the smal

. It was labeled

. Inside were

r's p

ed out a nearly identical bottle. This one contained actual vitamins she had pilfered from the infirmary supply months ago, exploiting a blind spot in the

he had been switching

he was aware. An

rner of the room flashed

OCKS BOWE

e. She l

appeared on the screen. Br

ITT BOWEN ARRESTED FOR DU

d and defiant in her mugshot. Britt, who had tormen

beeped loudly, signal

he laundry ro

itchen maid, ran in.

ped. "You have

sed an

aid, wringing her hands. "He's