g academy, years ago. Jake was her instructor. He was demonstrating a disarming technique, and he' d chosen her as his partner. His hands were firm but careful on her arms. "Good instin

tmas. He'd just nodded, his eyes already scanning the

xwe

ef, a man named Miller, was standing over her desk, his face red with anger. "Is this a ho

just... I'll get it to you right now." Her face was ho

erself for the explosion, for Jake to tear into Isabelle the way he tore into everyone else. But he didn't. He just looked at Isabelle and said, "It happens. Fix it and get it back

outside, smearing the city lights into long, blurry streaks. The rhythmic thump of the windshield wipers was the only sound. The atmosphere was

tonight. <3" The little heart emoji glowed in the darkness of the car. It was a confirmation of everything she had feared, a fina

pace inside her. She drove on, her expression perfectly calm, her face a mask of professionalism. Inside, she was breaking apart, piece by ago