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 hand 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
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