of the penthouse, her heart

nd stared at her reflection. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with terror. O

und of disgus

ot. She stood under the spray, scrubbing at her skin until it was raw, try

couldn't wash

re practical terror took hold.

ncy. D

wrapping a towel around herself. She sat on the e

t women's hea

t sounded less like a hospital and more like a spa. Elysian Well

ernoon, her finger hovering over the confirmatio

he silky rug feeling like sandpaper under her bare feet. She took the escort's number from the nightstand where

bear the silence anymo

er voice cracking

s wrong? You

Chloe whispered, the words tastin

Carina's voice shar

aiting. A private car service, not Alistair's. S

voice thick with unshed tears.

versized sunglasses and a silk scarf wrapped high aro

. "I'll call you back when I'm in the waiting room," she promised, h

d tones and minimalist decor. A polite receptionist guide

lasses, staring at the pale, haunted face reflected in

g room that looked more like a hotel lounge. As so

ng. The bar, the whiskey, the st

sped on the other end of t

o?" Chloe's

thing. Everything. Second, and this is the most important thing, Alistair can never, ever find out. Do you hear me?

ispered, a fresh w

ntered, her smile gentle. It

t detached from her own body, like a specimen un

wait. She picked up her phone to text Carina, to tell her h

As she turned a corner, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure disappearing into another room.

there a second longer. She walked back to the

id open with

in a sharp, tailored suit,

ht, her mind already on the escape. She

the man en

oice calm and professional. "Wa

ry muscle in her

n't a doctor. It w

Alistair's chief o

before she could even turn around,

ors sl

Sinclair was

silver, bypassed Leo completely. It landed dir

old and sharp as a

Chloe's veins