talemate. Meredith Adler rushed down, her face ashen, clutc

ith gasped ou

ide table, ignoring Genevieve's burning glare, and dumped the contents onto

umb over the photo, checking the holograms, the dates, the spelling o

e registrar's signature, the hospital name. She checked for smudges, for incons

aping through the silence. "How d

lded the top flap down, sealing it. She looked up at Genevieve, her eyes li

a threat. Genevieve's chest rose and fell rapidly. She wa

walked toward the grand double doors of the living room. She didn't look back. Not at the

er voice cracking. "Please. We're

e coldness in her voice could have frozen the Atlantic. "From the moment you forge

e hard, unyielding. "My father's car accident. My brother's death. That so-called

r hand clutching her throat. The promise in Elianna's voice w

boots clicked rhythmically down the marble hall

gh the air. It was followed by a loud crash. The sound of fine porce

door and stepped out into the bright New York afternoon.

requested. The driver, a middle-aged man with a newsp

sked, loading he

seat. "The city. I'll give

estate shrank in the rearview mirror, its stone walls and iron gates lo

ontact, Nexus, was online. She typed quick

ge Bureau, 3:00 PM. The target will b

rrently on medical leave. The photo showed a man with sharp, intelligent eyes. For her plan, he was the perfect shield, a man whose world was far removed from the corporate

view mirror. "You a pilot?" he

look up from he

g fl

e and steel of the approaching city. She needed a legal status. She needed to be untouchable. This contract marriage was the

s. She couldn't walk into a marriage bureau looking like an air

mall on 34th S

of fire erupted behind her eyelids. The twisted metal. The smoke. The sirens. She forced

It was ice. And she w