still danced in the veins beneath her skin, forcing a second heartbeat upon her. Not a syllable she had thrown at that corporate thug had been

vines brushing her arms like soft reassurances. Inside, the air was scente

ures adorning the walls. Her grandmother's face grinned back at her from an

sighed. "But I'm just

e of Mrs. James' tear-filled gratitude. The woman had gripped her tight as if she were a lifeline

oman do against a corp

a knock at

to see: Grayson Wolfe, his suit jacket thrown casually over his arm with his sleeves rolled up, his gaze untranslatable. He belo

fway through the door. "Far away

nodded. "Ma

"Wherever you intend to threaten m

h swing, the garden overflowing with wild thyme

hat? Come to buy me off again?

to apo

into a moment

r sent those men to harass Mrs

t it is your project. Your name is on the

ed. Which is why I came. You were right to

for the bluff behind his eyes. If it

't tru

aylight fading toward the horizon. "But still, I want to talk about Wi

a long silence. Final

nutes,"

paused just inside, feeling the warmth of the house, seeing the rows of cer

ght up here,"

fate, my grandmother brought me up in thi

hoto near the stair

stand my ground, even when it h

in the living room. Lila didn't

change anything. People are scared. You're pushing them out of homes they've been living i

resting his elbows on his knees. "Project X is more than a development. "It is a strategic operation,

have onl

h, please,

oesn't just run on mere commerce but commercializes the predictive behavior of patterned

s no wonder why you want that place. Willow's Corner is n

how invest

're looking throu

time, he let himself be unguarded. "

she admits. "But

led the air, thick

said, "You're unlike

ring," she

as not an expression of a

en he

ila couldn't

the glass. Her thoughts raced madly in circle about Grayson, a

stirred faintly: of how this land once held greatness as sacred, l

particles floated in the air as the door shut behind her,

ist, looked over his eyeglasses. "Are

k we need to remember what we're fig