HE HEIRESS WH

her a

m was colder tha

reening suite buried somewhere beneath the Laurent estate. No windows. No cloc

rame flicke

e sh

ia La

g out o

loded around h

smile," Sha

the dark corn

esn't n

n't heard

emoved, sleeves rolled precisely once

gain," he

otage

ured. Chin lifted half an inch higher

leaned

as s

tle for

ot fo

rembled before she cla

or exactly one seco

ey

yes s

photog

ex

d," Sharon s

t respond i

d automatically - a

a at a

tion. Perfe

er gaze darted once toward the side

ze f

owly and approa

eople," she said. "She'

olded h

nd

esn't trust

pa

rward now, stan

d more than m

," Sharon replied.

ce li

hed her speech. Applause

grat

li

ootag

een wen

alysis," J

turned

e was recoverin

e i

t's

ression

ref

rossed h

. I need to understand

ing into res

oftly. "I'm walk

hifted behi

time, James lo

remote and anot

asn't publ

rity camera

lone in h

udie

eras f

sil

tood near

ion faint i

d over he

ic

uickly to the do

breath

sed her back

d her

gan to

t

ak

ontrolle

sing terror it wasn't al

n swa

eone was coming,

off the scr

tage is c

sho

the weight of wha

faced h

appened

held h

that conc

s not

pped c

rform continuity. N

lop that kind of f

to

cked sharper

inhaled

e pressed. "Then tell m

ng p

ce felt h

s said, v

vered irre

he co

es

nd

isted on cor

stomach t

of irregu

anci

leg

aw fl

ot law enf

t telling me t

es har

nsated generously to

it was

li

boun

back, but her m

l irregu

e

ed d

ni

that put her in dange

idn't d

s answe

d toward

efore answering. The way she never over-explains. Geor

nted," Sharon

ped at

turning,

e overr

he

smaller once

n sat

p began aut

rom a boar

at the head o

red suits su

eaned forward,

int, but Sharon

t stab

rary auth

good of th

didn't i

idn't

mply l

leaned

three

m went

en challenging her

bd

layed it t

didn't

ever

dn't n

ed space wi

ndern

it was

cker in

e

weak

ren

something terrible w

back, pulse st

?" she whispered t

rgia coul

hts fli

t o

n fro

wasn't supposed to still ha

fr

iscated every

lly, she reach

felt colder

gnal

Wi-

ation glowed

wn Se

file r

eath s

y trembling,

filled wi

h

or

poli

comp

hev

at looked like a

eorgia said quietly, "it m

began to slam a

lower than in publ

meone who looks enough like me to convin

yes l

a spli

was looking dir

gia whispered, "you n

c cra

leaned

en't just fraud.

r w

glitched

cut through befor

rde

le van

ple

had never

ed at her b

pounded in

ym

mu

hind her op

on t

stood

hing

surp

conf

measu

you memorized?"

ked her ph

her voic

oug

died h

r thi

ching for

rming so

," he

epped

your first li

?" she

inner. Very

th

t her

rs who questione

ran thro

ail?" she a

ression did

won

n't reas

s expec

the dim corridor, one though

n't afraid

of the people

walking straight

ar

rep

bly alrea

tor doors

e men in suits Sharon re

already wa

ess

em smiled

said smoothly. "

stepped

s began

the fi

ood somethi

sn't re

as eva

deciding whether she was