s nearly empt

ive floor was dark, lit only by the cool glow of computer

les and sipping water as she reviewed Damian'

ht before. Not in meetings, not in passing. But his presence

ut something told her tonigh

.m., his d

shirt rolled up at the sleeves, jawl

till here

led. "I was finalizi

d. "

him into his

balcony-a massive stretch of glass and stone overlooking the city skyli

tated in t

he said wit

ng. Lagos shimmered in gold and neon bel

ithout loo

ts to know wh

nked. "Ex

pened to Damian?' 'Why is he like that?' Some think

't say a

"It was none of those

settled be

me was

s brilliant. Free-spirited. The kind of person who could walk into a

y, but it didn't

tting up OrionTech's French subsidiary. We lived together

in silence, h

n we met. She didn't tell me until she collapsed one

cracked

tment trials. Burned money. Flew her to Geneva. Nothing

throat t

rry," she

ed at h

. But she chose to live

er. Not in how you look. But in how you

breath

quickly, looking o

asked, voice low. "Because I r

different. You walk into a storm and don't ask who

ood in

almost to herself,

answer r

ly. "And I swore I'd n

ded, hear

wearing," she whispered. "

oked-and for a second, she swor

buzzed, snapping

eting at 7 a.m. tomo

he tightness in h

stood in front of

scar below her collarbone where the biopsy ha

d a heart

cking time bom

the real reas

e she was

e she was