Chapter 1

Jared quickly composed himself.

"Cora. So you found out.

"Faye's health isn't great, and she couldn't handle conditions that rough. You're tough. You'll make it through."

Faye tugged nervously at his sleeve.

I didn't make a scene.

I just pointed at the chat on the projector screen.

"Who changed the final roster?"

Jared owned it without blinking. "I made that call."

"And that whole 'we face life and death together as a team' act at the party? Whose idea was that?"

Faye's eyes darted away.

Nash Porter immediately stepped forward and blocked her from view.

"All the partners made that decision together. Cora, stop staring at Faye like she's on trial."

I nodded and turned back to Jared.

"So you only promised to marry me to get me to sign?"

Jared casually adjusted the strap of his watch.

"You hate long-term overseas postings.

"Without a promise, you never would've signed that contract."

He said it like it was obvious, without a trace of guilt.

Faye's eyes went red, and she rushed to the laptop on the table.

"This is all my fault. I'll email the Alliance right now and ask them to change who goes.

"I'll go to Dayaka. You all stay in Nova City."

All four of them rushed to her side.

Ray Sutton snapped the laptop shut.

"The paperwork's already underway. Don't do anything stupid."

"But what about Cora?"

Faye squeezed out a few tears.

"What if something happens to her, all alone in a place that awful?"

Jared pulled out a tissue and wiped her tears away.

"Cora's the best crisis management expert in the business. She's mentally tough. She'll do fine anywhere.

"You've never even been to the slums in Nova City. Don't take chances with your safety."

I stood a few steps away and watched them close ranks around Faye, soothing her.

That was my answer.

Dayaka meant gunfire and sandstorms, and they couldn't bear to let a speck of dust touch Faye.

So to keep her safe and comfortable, I got thrown into the meat grinder.

Grant Ellison straightened the cuffs of his suit, his voice as coolly rational as ever.

"Cora, our methods weren't pretty, but this is the best outcome for everyone.

"You'll be on the front lines handling the crisis work you're best at, and we'll stay in Nova City and run the company with Faye.

"Nobody's career gets held back."

I smiled.

"So should I pay you a consulting fee for planning my career for me?"

Nash caught the sarcasm, and his face darkened.

"You wanted to go to Dayaka anyway. Otherwise, why didn't you just turn down all those invitation emails from the Alliance?

"We just gave you a push."

I did want to go.

Handling international media crises on the front lines had been my goal since my first day in the business.

I'd turned down the Alliance twice, only because I couldn't bear to leave the team we'd built from nothing.

I'd even thought about staying in Nova City forever, covering for them for the rest of my life.

But there was no point telling them any of that now.

I picked up the signed project contract from the table.

Without thinking, Jared stepped forward and blocked my way.

"Where are you going?"

"Back to my apartment."

"And what about us?"

I looked at him, my face blank.

"What about us?"

His expression stiffened a little.

"Cora, don't let your emotions get the better of you.

"I did promise to marry you to keep you on board, but I never meant to lie to you. Until the project officially starts, I'll keep playing your perfect fiancé. Once things settle down here, I'll fly out to Dayaka to see you.

"You always wanted a commitment. Didn't I give you one?"

To him, a few months of fake engagement was some grand act of generosity.

Faye spoke up softly, trying to talk me around.

"Cora, Jared really does care about you.

"Last night, when you stayed up past midnight in the media monitoring room, he took off his jacket and covered you with it after you fell asleep."

I almost laughed out loud.

They'd tricked me into going somewhere riots could break out at any moment, then covered me with a jacket.

What a bargain I'm getting.

"I'm honored.

"Since you think he's so considerate, Faye, you two should stay together forever, right here in the senior partner's office."

I unclipped the company badge pinned to my chest and tossed it down in front of Faye.

"Don't you want to be at the center of things?

"Take the founder's badge too, while you're at it."

Faye bit her lip and didn't dare reach for it.

Jared's frown deepened.

"What the hell has gotten into you today?

"Didn't you always promise clients that our core team would never split up?"

"That was then."

I walked around him and headed straight for the door.

The phone in my jacket pocket buzzed.

An encrypted email came in from Reyes, the coordinator at the International Relief Alliance.

"Your transport will arrive in Nova City in 48 hours.

"Cora, please confirm whether you wish to begin the radio silence protocol early."

I wrote back to confirm.

The Dayaka project carried the International Relief Alliance's highest security classification. Once I boarded, every communication device I had would be sealed.

For the next five years, no one on the outside would be able to reach me.

I opened the five-person group chat we'd had since our startup days in the garage, muted it, and locked my screen.

They were probably still pleased with themselves. In their arrogant little world, my cold shoulder was just a stunt to get attention.

They were sure that after a few days, I'd swallow it and go back to the monitoring room, quietly cleaning up after them like always.

But they were wrong.

This time, I was cutting them out of my life for good.