All Chapters of ECHOES OF THE PAST : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

CHAPTER 32: INVISIBLE SABOTAGE FOUR DAYS LATER AT THE BOARD MEETING The Henderson Tower boardroom was exactly what I'd expected, six men and two women sat around the massive conference table, their expensive suits and perfectly styled hair reflecting their status in the city's business elite. And none of them had any idea I was standing in the corner, completely invisible, listening to every word they said and every thought they didn't. Getting into the building had been easier than anticipated. Now I stood motionless in the corner of the boardroom, focusing on maintaining my invisibility while simultaneously reaching out with my mind to touch the thoughts of everyone present. It was mentally exhausting, like trying to listen to eight conversations simultaneously while also holding my breath, but four days of intensive training with Damian had prepared me for exactly this challenge. "Gentlemen, ladies," the man at the head of the table said, his nameplate reading Thomas Brenna

CHAPTER 34: TRAINING AND TENSION"You did well with the Henderson investors," Damian said as we faced each other in the converted training room but that was relatively simple manipulation, reinforcing doubts that already existed. What you'll need in Paris is more sophisticated.""What do you mean?" I asked, still feeling the mental exhaustion from yesterday's session."In Paris, you might encounter situations where people aren't already inclined toward what we need them to believe," Damian explained. "You'll need to plant entirely new thoughts, alter perceptions in ways that feel natural to the target but serve our purposes.""That sounds like actual mind control," I said, uncomfortable with the implications."It's not control, it's influence," Damian corrected. "Control would be forcing someone to act against their will or nature. Influence is guiding their thoughts in directions they might naturally go, just faster and more decisively than they would on their own.""Show me."Damian

The Brennan Development Group's emergency board meeting was scheduled for 2 PM in their downtown headquarters, a sleek glass tower that reflected the afternoon sun like a mirror.I stood across the street, invisible, watching people enter the building. Damian's voice came through the tiny earpiece he'd given me that morning."The board members started arriving ten minutes ago," he said from his position in a café two blocks away, monitoring security feeds Lena had accessed. "You have maybe five minutes before the meeting starts."I crossed the street and slipped through the revolving doors behind a group of executives, my invisible form creating no disturbance in the air. The lobby security didn't react as I moved past them toward the elevators."Seventeenth floor, conference room B," Damian reminded me. "Lena's disabled the motion sensors in that corridor for the next hour."The elevator ride up was surreal, standing invisible among suited professionals discussing quarterly reports a

We needed to go after Emma Lancaster.I found the team already assembled in the safe house's main room when I emerged from my bedroom. Lena had three laptops running simultaneously.Rachel was on her phone coordinating something and Damian stood by the windows with his usual watchful presence."I've been thinking," I said without preamble. "We've been focusing on destroying Evan's business but we've left Emma largely untouched. She's still playing the grieving almost-widow, still collecting sympathy and maintaining her perfect victim image.""You want to expose her involvement," Damian said, understanding immediately."She knew," I replied, feeling anger rise hot in my chest. "She knew Evan was alive, knew he faked his death probably helped him plan the whole thing. She's been lying to everyone, playing innocent while helping a murderer hide from justice."Lena looked up from her screens with interest. "I can work with that. What are you thinking?""Financial connections," I said,

I pulled back from Damian abruptly, my heart pounding for entirely different reasons now. He looked at me with concern, sensing the sudden change in my demeanor."What's wrong?" he asked."Veena," I said quietly, looking around the ballroom as if I might see her somewhere in the crowd even though I knew she was miles away at the safe house. "She just spoke to me. In my mind.""What did she say?"I met his eyes, seeing my own sudden fear reflected back at me. "She said the price is coming due."Damian's expression shifted immediately from concern to something darker, more knowing. "The Balance," he said grimly. "It never gives power without cost. We've been using our abilities, pushing boundaries and now it's time to pay for what we've been given.""What kind of price?" I demanded, fear clawing at my chest."I don't know," Damian admitted. "But it's never simple and it's never easy. The Balance extracts payment in ways that test us, that forces us to prove we're worthy of the gifts