San Pellegrino sliding down her parched throat. It was a small

f was sho

pp's screen flashed with a deduction notice. UNAUTHORI

essage, a new one appeared. SYSTEM

des into a tight, agonizing knot. It was a real, phys

slipped from her numb fingers, thudding softly onto the t

tion. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead. This wasn't just hunger; it was a torturous, amplified se

ing the faceless, tyrannical app. She forced herself to tak

he large window bruised from orange to a deep, inky purple. Los Angeles

he mansion. The sound masked any other noises in the house, isolating her further. Sl

something. She had to find the kitchen, find food,

e went to her suitcase and pulled out a simple, thin slip of silk that pas

aying it wouldn't make a sound. It opened with a soft click. She peeked out into the

e wall for support, her stomach cramping

weaving through the crashes of thunder. It was a low, mournful melody, played on a cello

th her hunger. The

toward the back of the estate. It led her to a massive glass cons

r, sitting amongst a forest of flowers, the cello resting between his knees. He drew

smirk touched her lips. What was this? Some kind o

vy glass door. The hing

ic stopping abruptly. He whipped

rvatory in a stark, blue-white flash. It lit up his face-a face identical to Julian's

rified. He looked like a deer caught i

d. He fumbled with the cello, nearly dropping it, and in his ha

nd racing. Was this a trick? An el

gentle, with a hesitant, breathy quality that was

led her "ma'am." Not the bankrupt pa

, she took a delib

m. A thorny vine snagged the sleeve of his shirt, scratching a thin red line across t

The man before her, in his reactions, his voice, his ve

another thought, cold and calculating, too

he suspicion vanished, replace

his injured hand in hers. "You're bleeding," she murm

rept up his neck, flooding his cheeks. He stared a

uddenly emitted a strange, melodic