r 3: T

e, and oddly beautiful. Every night, I made Elara Vance vanis

like salt and vinegar chips and cheap coff

ter years without it. Every second with him was urg

t at the archives" and spent four hours talking to him on his break. Other times,

pened after midnight, when fear an

ars. The shop was a dusty, glorious mess, full of instruments, amps,

ope, with the smell of old wood and

sofa in the back, sharing lukewarm instant noodles and talking. He played g

, we huddled together on that sofa. The only light came from a flickering streetlamp outside and the soft blue

was allergic to cashmere because the d

I told Mr. Reynolds, my boss, I had a sudden, crippling, two-hour dental emerg

" I defended, leaning m

and every risk is like a brick in our wall. It's a sepa

hoodie, wood smoke, and guitar strings. "Until we've built enough

nest, and free. At home, I felt old and out of place. With him,

the words feeling huge and

me. His green eyes were full of a te

, sealing the promise. "I love you, too, Elara. But

ode. My nerves were shot. I jumped every time my phone buzz

oud bang. It began quietly, wit

Disc

re never idle. She could spot a misplaced pillow from three rooms away.

ip to the park where Kai and I had shared a truly atrocious street vendor g

d for a shower to wash off the scent of While I was in the shower, my moth

desk that was the only place in the house she hadn't quite controlled.

, metallic thud that bro

gh, solid noise of cheap metal-something

r, maybe the only real feeling she l

per, and my wallet. But nestled amongst the pristine, expensive item

carved a tiny, recognizable K into it, then slippe

evidence; the dust was. Sawdust and metallic residue, the remains of The

y map. My mother never used maps; everything she needed was in the 'Approved District.' This map ha

grammed robe, she was sitting on my bed. She wasn'

tion. "Tell me about your History Symposium. Did you discuss

el sick. "Yes, Mother. We... we spent quite a bit of

d on mine, clear,

this discussi

rary," I lied, the hab

the guitar pick out of the bag. The cheap leather

own, Elara?" Her voice was still quiet, but the room's temperature dropped by 20 degrees. "Or

quiet disappointment hurt mo

um: Marcus

om was lined with dark wood and smelled of leather and cigars. He usually

pproving statue. My father, Marcus Vance, stood before his massiv

my father commanded.

at the fl

t na

ey

-old who sold guitar strings. "Reyes," he said again, reading the screen. "A single mother. A father who left. A sister who needs his income for college. He ru

"He's not an anomaly. He's kind. H

aw pity in his eyes. That was worse than anger. You confuse emotion with investment. T

d leverage!

honor the sacrifices we've made, Elara. The Foundation, the lega

engaged t

and down on the desk. T

ncheon this Saturday with Jameson Davies III and behave like the woman who will o

in, his fa

onitored. Your movements are restricted. You will not leave this pro

r, pointing it st

c shop-easily, for pennies-and I will ensure his sister's college fund evaporates into the wind. Do y

e of control. He could destroy Kai and everything he

my face hot and wet wi

een. The discussion was over. "Now go to

nt. It happened sometimes. He knew her schedule was tough. she hadn't texted, an

ot even a r

hess players were there. The fountain was broken. But the girl with th

a cold, heavy fear settled in his stomach. Th

jingled. Kai was re-stringing a vintage Telecast

serious, wearing an expensive suit, with two large, un

ed, his hand instinctively tig

looked around the dusty shop with

t's

s jacket. There was no name, just a logo: a styli

ily," the man said, his vo

ces of their secret time together had finally arr

is eyes. "Yes, you do. You know Elara. You k

The two silent guards

oblem-a small one, easy to handle. You ar

folder on the counter. It was

our mother's health insurance deductible. And the tuition schedule for the University

s jaw clenched so tight he c

nently. You are not to email, text, call, or appear within five hu

rds tasting like copper.

or if she tries to reach you and you answer, the Vance Foundation will step in. We won't be cruel. We'll just make sure

life. "It will all just disappear. Your sister, who means so much to you

allowing the h

h your sister's future. She is not worth the stability of you

nd filled with a sense of fear. He stood, staring at the folder.

nt a bodyguard. He had sent an accou

tual S

ss only for "approved academic research." She didn't try to contact Kai-the thought of

d, but he couldn't break her out-if he did, he would destroy the very things he was fighting to p

suffocating with money and influence. his phone. He typed a

message felt like a threat

nymous, temporary email account he knew she would check just

A

e word was both a command an

king. She saw the message. It was everything she ne

heir time together was over. But in that one word, WAIT, Elara

ut they knew the war wasn't