situation. Giselle took a deep breath and typed the number. $1,530,000. The sum of the wire

olumbia Engineering Full Scholarship. Proficient in Python, C

n't money, but it was capital.

s scanned the listings, her brain automatically filtering out

ntum Computing Lab. $25

t, Butler Library. $1

hysics 1200. $50

line would take too long; she would apply for them in pe

years to pay off the debt at this rate. Deca

er of control returning to her chest. She was no longer just a

like frozen giants against the azure sky, but Dereck Campos wasn't looking at them. He was sitting

ecovering from a skiing accident that should have killed him. The only

it who looked more like a secret service agent

tful. "There was an issue with the wire transfer fr

ne eyebrow raised s

recipient decli

the messages from the previous night. The whining voice memo. The pho

s a fragile, breathy whisper, thick with congestion

, the tiny smears of blood stark against the pale skin. It was a

ey," Dereck said, hi

s,

the d

ed she would not ope

rn. He didn't care about this girl. She was a thief, a catfish using another woman's photos

said. "Columbia student. I want her

stare at the photo of the hand. It was a small hand. Deli

urrently in the Hamptons. Her social media shows her at a par

e girl in the apartment, the one with the fever and

was playing

sed help. A thief who acted like a prude. It was

He was intrigued. This wasn't a simple shakedown anymore. This wa

Dereck said, his voice soft and dange

nuckles. He was hearing the desperate, little cough. He was going to find her. And when he did,