로그인~ Ivy ~A radio squawked with static beside my ear."Elevator bank three is clear, Doctor," Frank spoke into his black walkie-talkie. His thumb pressed the side button hard. "The service hall has two men stationed at the gate."Ethan kept his hand flat against my lower back, his fingers warm through my woolen coat. His jaw stayed clenched tight, like a piece of carved granite. Two days had passed since the hospital alert. Chloe was loose somewhere in the dark alleys of Ashbourne, carrying a stolen gun and an old rage, and every guard on the Knight payroll stood on high alert. "Check the emergency fire stairwell again," Ethan ordered. His voice sounded like dry gravel scraping together. "I want keycard locks on every single door from the ground floor up to this roof.""Already done, sir," Frank replied, nodding once. He slipped the radio back onto his leather belt. "Every guest must show photo identification at the front lobby downstairs. The biometric scanners arrive in the morning."
~ Ethan ~The red light on my desk phone flashed like a warning siren. My hand slammed onto the receiver before the second ring finished. Down on the desk, the stack of surgical schedules scattered across the polished mahogany. I pressed the plastic hard against my ear, my pulse kicking against my throat."Speak," I said."Ethan, lock your doors," Marcus Webb said. The prosecutor’s voice sounded thin, raspy from smoke and caffeine. Paper rustled violently on his end of the line. "The state police just dropped a sealed bulletin on my desk. It went out ten minutes ago." My fingers tightened around the phone until the plastic groaned under my grip. "Tell me.""Chloe broke out of the county psychiatric ward," Webb said, spitting the words like poison. "She staged a seizure in her holding cell, drew blood on her own tongue, and got herself wheeled down to the infirmary. When the transport guard unhooked her arm, Chloe beat her with a stainless steel basin. Smashed the woman’s skull against
~ Ivy ~The tiny brass bell above the café door rattled, and my breath hitched in my throat. Cold autumn air rushed across the wooden floorboards of the Riverside Arts Quarter bakery. Footsteps paused on the welcome mat. I locked my hands around my heavy stoneware mug, letting the hot ceramic sting my palms to keep myself anchored. Lily stood by the entrance, hesitating beneath the warm yellow lamps.Her shoulders curled inward under a faded, navy trench coat with frayed cuffs. The hem brushed against scuffed ankle boots. Her blond hair, once styled into glossy waves by expensive salon hands, hung in a loose, flat ponytail against her neck. She clutched a vinyl tote bag against her ribs like a shield, searching the small room until her pale blue eyes found mine. Her lips trembled. She took three slow steps forward, her boots squeaking on the wet timber. "Ivy," Lily whispered, her voice cracking over the hiss of the espresso machine."Sit down, Lily," I said. My voice sounded flat and
~ Ivy ~Two people stepped out from behind the stone pillar of the foundation building, blocking my path to the car. My pulse jumped, my heels planting hard against the sidewalk. My fingers tightened around the leather strap of my work portfolio. Frank, my head of security, stepped forward instantly, his large hand moving to the inside button of his suit jacket. "Wait, Frank," I said, my voice cutting cleanly through the morning air. The two figures moved into the direct sunlight.Victoria Monroe wore a beige wool coat that looked thin and faded around the cuffs. Her blond hair showed gray roots, and her makeup sat heavily in the deep lines around her mouth. Beside her stood Arthur Monroe. His shoulders slumped forward inside an off-the-rack navy suit that hung loose on his frame. The arrogant titan who once ruled Monroe Textiles looked shrunken, his hands trembling as he tucked them into his pockets. "Ivy," Victoria said, stepping forward. Her voice shook, pitching high with forced
~ Ivy ~ Ethan’s grip tightens on my hand as he pulls me toward the heavy oak doors of the North Terrace. Wind rattles the glass panes. A shadow flickers across the stone walkway outside. My chest locks, and my feet dig into the carpet. "Ethan, stop," I say, pulling back against his weight. "Someone is out there." "Trust me, Ivy," he says. His voice stays level, but a small twitch jumps along his jaw. He pushes the brass latch down. "Walk outside with me." The cold evening air hits my face like ice water. Torch flames flicker inside black iron sconces along the stone railing. A semicircle of people stands in the amber light. Maya clutches a silver tray with crystal glasses. Leo and Sasha stand close together, their coats buttoned to their chins. Beside them, Richard Knight rests both hands on his silver walking cane, while Margaret Knight wraps a thick wool shawl over her shoulders. Everyone stays frozen, watching us. "What is this?" I ask, my knuckles going white around Ethan’s slee
~ Chloe ~A drop of dirty water fell from the rusted ceiling pipe. It hit my neck, cold and sharp. I jerked my head, scraping my shoulder against the wet concrete of the tunnel.I sucked in air through my nose. The tunnel smelled of old iron, dead water, and grease. My stomach cramped, twisting into an empty, hard fist. I bent over, scooped water from the municipal trickle beside my shoe, and splashed it into my mouth. It tasted like tin and dirt, but I forced my throat to swallow. "One step," I muttered, my voice coming out dry and ragged. "Just wait. Just watch."I wiped my wet mouth with the sleeve of the oversized canvas jacket. It was stiff, stained with blue grease and yellow salt rings under the arms. I had pulled it off the correctional officer after I cracked her skull against the cinderblock wall. I still had the guard’s key ring in the deep pocket, right next to the remaining crumpled twenties.Footsteps echoed far above my head. The heavy metal grate shook as a city bus ro







