sified government work. Fluorescent lights. Carpet tiles in institution

aking eye contact. She was invisible here too. She'd cultivated that invisibility deliberately, wearing polyeste

rs processed data that shaped national security policy. She walked to the corner of the open-plan office, to the terminal that

ke errors to anyone watching. The screen flickered. For three seconds, it displayed the t

han projected. The generals would be pleased. The President's Technology and In

corrupted data reappeared. She began

el

old. Intern from MIT. Enthusiastic in the way that only people who'd never been

we're getting a visit from some senior people. A delegation from a private contractor, one of the big on

About the woman who'd received the Himalayan Birkin that Duke had purchased with their sha

oice changed. "Is that

er canvas tote this morning without thinking, intending to re

ft," sh

out asking, pulled out the box, opened it. The scar

sper. "The equestrian print. This is the

h tightened. "

n Birkin-you know, the bag that costs more than a house?-you have to buy like, fifty thousand dollars in other stuff first. Sca

ne. A

consulting position. Adelia was connected, old-money connected, the kind of woman who woul

ou okay?

fingers crushed the silk without fee

e. Then Julian's voice cut across

visitors

ew. She knew before Julian spoke the name, knew from the way she moved, th

a Mon

non that probably required three hundred dollars and ninety minutes to achieve. A Chanel suit in cream wool that made the

at might have been platinum. Keira's gasp was audible. Half a million dollars. Maybe more. The p

to be here today to discuss potential synergies. I've always been passionate about scientific research. The opportunity t

s, dispensing charm. Helen watched her app

the corrupted spreadsheet Helen had been

directly for the first time. Her eyes were brown, flecked with gold. Beautiful eyes. Cru

ag. She thought of the quota. She thought of Duke's v

d. "The fundamentals matter. No

mething, perhaps. A tone that didn't match

e care. "I'm sure we'll be seeing a great deal of each oth

d her. Helen sat motionless, her nai

as reverent. "Did you se

saw

ed they install for "safety," the one that let them track each other's locations. His

day. Probably planning dinner at the restaurant where Helen had never been

nding to corrupt data while the most important work of her career proceeded three floors below, wor

ht. Tonight she wo