d choke on it. Frank sat at the head of the mahogany table, a pen tapping rhythmical

The Non-Disclosure Agree

k said. He d

I was wearing the pink dress. It was tight, unc

cked up the pen. I hovered

I sto

tapping. "What

wide, innocent. I dropped the pen

little and my grammar slipping into the broken cadence I had perfe

ade of purple I hadn't s

da," I said. "In the bathr

rom the sofa. "

g my arms. "I'm not signing

"You ungrateful little gutter rat! We are gi

come now. Panic, real and raw, or at least it looked that way. "Y

got in my face. "You

ourself!" I shoved t

recoiled as if the papers were radioactive. They all

re in twelve minutes. If I wasn't in it, the deal was o

pped. And

ulled out his phone. "Gi

umpled piece of paper from my br

nk squinted at it.

"She works at a bank. Said she could h

gers flew across the screen, trembling w

from the contact lens I was wearing. A tiny, au

t buckle. It was a failsafe. Frank thought he was sending a pending authorization, something he c

firmed: $2,0

grabbed the pen and scribbled my name o

orbell

ou screw this up, Serena, I will find you. And

rm away. I gr

rank. Thanks

out the f

ike he had been carved out of granite. He wore a tuxedo that fit him like armor. His

family's head of secur

at my cheap bag. He didn't say a wor

re was softer than Frank's car. It smel

sitting on the opposite bench. Th

tablet, ignorin

my bag to my chest. I let

the weight of the two million dollars in the offshore account-funds that Wolf was alread

pping a bubble of gum. "Is he really

ed up. His e

smooth. "In this family, the rumors are