unmarked Ford sedan, parked two

e seat. She unzipped the black nanofiber suit, peeling it off her skin.

-shirt over her head and slippe

he bone-conduction earpie

voice flat. "I'm out. Th

s report to you in thirty minutes. The payout for this intel is massive. Are you sure yo

e," Elod

ng streetlights of the wealthy neighbo

into the driver's seat. She adjusted the seat and rested her

channels,"

Evans's home office a week ago under the guise of deep-cleaning the study. Sh

by the heavy sigh of her

ed exhausted. "Old Mrs. Lyons agreed. As long as we fulfill the marria

g with panic. "My baby cannot marry Elwyn Lyons IV! The man i

round the edge of the car se

. "We aren't sacrificing Bri

d. A cold, physical wei

e dragged out of the Rust Belt? She isn't fit for the Lyons family. Loo

y specifies 'the daughter of Preston Evans.' It doesn't name which one. This is exa

. The oxygen in the car

t her to this mansion. The fake sm

es, the private tutors, the unconditional love. Elodie go

hia asked, her tone shifting to p

ack in Pennsylvania, Gus Kowalski? His lung condition is getting worse. We can offe

heat rushed throu

ge. They were using Gus. The only person in th

old, venomous rage burned through her veins, yet her expression remained completely stony. She merely

-pitched, laced with fake innocence. "I heard Mr. Elwyn is really

a heart. This is Elodie's chance to finally repay us fo

the back of E

read tying her to t

ut they weren't. They were monsters. To them, she wasn't

up and killed

into a deaf

w mirror. The pale, butterfly-shaped birthm

odie whispered

head toward the Evans estate. She turned th