wn the tree-lined avenu

at the corner of her eye. The skin turned red and raw,

ugh the rearview mirror. His f

ed me to pull ov

yden said. Her voice was f

Ford sunglasses from her bag and slid the

hone and opened th

the account they used for shared household expenses and shared livin

umb st

transaction fr

& Arpels

ny jewelry last week. Bernhard had told her

litary-grade encrypted application she kept hidden in a nested folder on her

p outside her building

to the top of her head. She adjusted her posture, pulling

rd and pushed throug

, beamed at her. "Good afternoon, Mrs.

, polite nod. "It was f

She headed straight for t

e stainless steel. She looked pale, almost ghostly. She reached into her bag, pulled out

announcing her arri

oors and stepped inside. The apa

water, and sat down on one of the barstools. Her heart wa

the faint ding of the second pr

open. Bernhar

one. He reached up and loosened his silk

the back of his neck. "That board meeti

expensive cologne hit her, and beneath it, she could

fectionate smile on his face. He lean

se in her t

ed her head

back, his eyebrows pulling together in a sharp frown. His dark

wrong wi

unclench. She swallowed har

lied smoothly. "It gave me a massiv

nd walked toward the massive

for two long seconds. Then,

ters. You need t

onto a barstool, and headed straight for

d white. She waited until she heard the heavy glass door of the s

id her shou

ass, her hands still

vibration rattled

en j

edge of the counter. The screen lit up, cut

he sender had no name, j

ser. She stared at

er read: 181 Sec

familiar. She closed her eyes

shop hidden in an alleyway just two blocks from his office. He ha

e coffee shop

eyes snap

h his phone. She just hovered her camera over his screen

ly changed. The water pressure

ket. She grabbed the water glass, filled

ite towel wrapped low around his waist. He was a

ght toward the

e. As he picked it up,

him over the ri

cheeks for a fraction of a second. He quickly tapped

icked up a Vogue magazine that was sitting on the cou

ickly typed a reply, locked the phone,

d. She closed the magazine and walk

edroom and headed straight f

door shut behind her. She reached out an

id wood. The air in the closet smel

. Her eyes turned

her contacts until she found the number for

hit

rp female voice answered. "Hayden

ce was like

ard is currently living in. I want it on the market by to