ead silent. The engine was a barely perce
ightly against her chest, inside the front pocket was the plastic p
w, but the dark tint turned the passing s
older man sittin
oisa asked. Her voice sh
lap. "Rest assured, Miss Williams, you are perfectly safe. We are
ne out of her pocket.
Ser
the car, she was completely cut off from the wor
ed down. Eloisa heard the heavy metallic clank of iron gat
the Potomac River in the distance. They were in the most
f a massive, stone mansion
door for her. "Welcome t
de her feel incredibly small. A massive stone fountai
he stone steps and pushed
eaming marble floors. The ceiling
elderly woman. She wore an elegant, tailored tweed suit, her silver hair
, calculating, and cold as ice. Eloisa felt
. "Madam, Miss Wil
silver tray. The clink of the por
oice was quiet, but it c
n the edge of the sofa opposite the woman. The cushions w
did not
you are
veins turned to ice.
ked on the word. "H
s security detail reported the... incident at the party. We have been monitoring your situation since. Your appointment a
truck by lightning. Her hands g
ly. "No, that's impossible. You have
. A graduation party near Georgeto
th surgical precision. Eloisa's
about," Eloisa lied, her voice cra
f cold pity. "Of course you don't. You
Pembroke stepped forward and hand
tablet across the
tage, grainy and dark. But she could clearly see the corner of the
e saw
ut he caught her as she fell. He wrapped a strong arm around her
oice drifting over the footage. "He despises those events. He l
. The blank space in her me
. The weight of his ha
a dream. I
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