hmic beep of a heart monitor. The second was

oe. Core Wish: Reverse the a

target individual, Julian Croft. C

red was the bitter taste of pills and the bottom of a vodka bottle. A stupid, desperate attempt to esc

I thought, my m

gram. Your se

w more insistent. A nurse rush

Doctor, she' s comi

and hospital bills. Then I saw Leo in his wheelchair by the window, his head lolled

my fault.

ice was the only

Chloe. It is your onl

his vacant eyes. I

outhed, the wor

g to them. They didn't see the cold resolve hardening

e a week later, as I

osition as Julian Croft

recluse famous for his genius and his impossible standards. G

am didn't car

address for his head of security, a psychological profile, a list of

olution to a problem he didn't even know he had. I detailed a securi

came in un

morrow. 8 AM.

elf, a shadow attached to Julian Croft. The art student from Que

is most devoted, most obsessive, most pathetic gr