made the muscles in her jaw tighten until her teeth ached. Sh

d her thumb against the biometric scanner of the private elev

parted. The motion-sensor ligh

r in her private hallway was tainted. It smelled heavily of Chanel N

orner into her ma

mence. Next to him sat his wife, Loretta, dripping in diamon

k-necked men in dark suits. Orderlies. Next to

o a tight, fake smile. She opened her arm

wept over the intruders like a blade. "Who

ng manager let us in. He was worried you were going to hu

t against his throat-his signature tell when he was trying t

eather briefcase and pulled out a thick stack of medical documen

in the large room. "Liquidating billions? Buying warehouses of garbage? We had no c

er of her autonomy, her money, and her freedom. The memories of her past life-being

"Miss Elliott, please cooperate. We are going to give you a mild sedativ

ey, stepping between her and the elevator. They us

s were scanning the expensive modern art hanging on the penth

d. "Smile for the camera, crazy cousin. T

t scream. Sh

quiet room. It was a terrifying sound-the sound of someone who had waded through mountains of corp

he hair on his arms stand up. He adjusted his tie vi

ve hand, the size of a dinner plate, reac

conscious mind did. The muscle

a tactical angle that defied normal physics. As his arm ext

nto the ulnar nerve cluster-t

nt of agony. The entire left side

ainst him. She pivoted her hips, loaded his weight onto

the air. He slammed back-firs

lly vibrated. The orderly's eyes rolled back into his head,

ckward, his hand flying to his belt. He ripped a high-voltage t

locked onto the metal prongs of the taser.