ling from the meeting-clutching the edge of her seat, her knuckles white, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and uncertainty. The conversation with the

piece she was supposed to figure out, but the p

s to fix, even though she had no ide

m anything she had ever known, so removed from her life as a florist. She felt like a puppet, strings pulling her in every direction, none of it of her makin

h the rearview mirror. "You're q

on. She nodded absently, still lost

g in particular-her mind was racing through a thousand possibilities, a thousand questions. What kind of le

to eat away at her. The sense of disorientation was unbe

ange sense of relief. At least here, in this sterile, impersonal space,

loor, she stepped out and walked down the hallway toward the apartm

at way. But then again, she didn'

derly, with no hint of anything personal or lived-in. The furniture, the decor-it was all carefully curated to reflect an image of

uch. The silence was both a comfort and a weight. The fact that she didn't belong here, didn't fit into this world, was becoming imp

ere supposed to go. She hadn't signed up for this-hadn't agreed to be thrust into

happening to her, the more she realized th

le

he nature of the business she was now part of, a

or a moment, trying to regain some semblance of control, but the thoughts wouldn't let her

on the door, pulling

he other side was familiar

tension. "Yes?" she called, walki

hands. "I was instructed to deliver this to yo

side to let him in. She took the folder from his

aid, though she fe

odded, turned, and left, the

dden under the black folder. She didn't know why, b

of her. The seal was unbroken, but it looked official-far too official. Sh

d the words, trying to make sense of the information. Names of companies, dates, accounts-lines of data that seem

ght her eye was "

n't know what it was, but it was clear from the documents that it was linked to a hi

uted than the last, until one particular sheet stop

something nagging at the back of h

on the counter buzzed, its screen lighting up

nly a moment before

on the other end was

yne continued. "There's no time to wast

e. "What's this about Victor Hale?" she

you're not ready to know that yet," Rayne replied, her voice turning colder

ne wen

task-fix the leak, protect the secrets, be Selene Voss. But the more she uncovered, the m

id he fit