CHAPTER 71

Nobody said anything for a second. Then Julian let out a long breath and leaned his head back against the couch."He asked if you were alone and didn't think twice when you said yes," Julian said. "He just believed you.""Because he thinks he knows me." I set my phone down. "He thinks I'm too scared to do anything he doesn't tell me to do.""And that's what's going to keep you safe."Edris came over and sat on the coffee table across from me, close enough that our knees almost touched. "Listen to me, Juliana. From now on, you have to be exactly who you were yesterday. Same voice, same questions. If you're nervous around me, stay nervous. If you've been angry, stay angry.""That part won't be hard," I said.One corner of his mouth moved. It wasn't quite a smile. "Good. I mean it, though. You can't pull back from Diggory, and you can't suddenly get quiet or cold with him. If he feels you slipping, he'll start wondering why.""What if he asks something I don't know how to answer?""Then

CHAPTER 72

The text came in at 8:14 the next morning. I was standing in Julian's tiny bathroom with a borrowed toothbrush in my mouth, wearing yesterday's clothes.⠀Diggory: Lenora's, on Hartwell Street. Private room at the back. 11:30. Come alone.⠀I read it, rinsed my mouth, and read it again. Then I carried the phone into the living room. I had fallen asleep on the couch the night before, halfway through a sentence, with my head on Julian's shoulder. Somebody had put a blanket over me. Julian was in his room now, and Edris was sitting in the armchair with his elbows on his knees, like he hadn't slept much and didn't want to say so.⠀"He sent it," I said.⠀"Let me see," Edris said, and held out his hand. I gave him my phone. He read it slowly. "Lenora's. It's a small place. I know the owner."⠀"Is that good?" I asked.⠀"It means I can have someone nearby." He handed the phone back, and his fingers brushed mine. Neither of us moved away. "I'll be parked on Hartwell. If you text me one wor

Chapter 73

Diggory paid the bill without looking at it, the way he always did. He tucked his wallet away and stood up, then held my coat open for me like we were on a date."You'll hear from me soon," he said, helping me into the sleeves. "As soon as I'm sure it's safe, I'll tell you everything.""Okay," I said, and pulled the coat closed over my chest. "Thank you, Diggory. I know I keep saying it.""You never have to thank me." He rested a hand on my back as we walked through the restaurant. "Just promise you'll be careful in the meantime.""I will," I said. "I'll act normal.""That's all I need."Outside, the sun was bright, and the street was loud, and it felt wrong after that dim little room. Diggory kissed my cheek and stepped back, smiling."Get some rest, Juliana," he said. "You look like you haven't slept in days.""I haven't," I said, and managed a weak laugh. "Call me.""I will."I watched him walk to his car. He didn't look back. When he pulled away, I stood on the sidewalk for a full

Chapter 74

For a second I thought I'd misheard him. "All of it," I said. "In my name.""Yes.""Julian, I never signed anything.""You didn't have to. The transfer only needed my signature and a witness. Dad's lawyer helped me do it quietly." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't tell you because I was scared. Diggory kept pushing me to sign my share over to him, and I could see where it was going. If I held half, he could keep pressuring me. If it was already yours, I couldn't sign it away, even if he forced me to.""You put it in my name so Diggory won't threaten you to give it out," I said."Right. It was the only thing I could think of." Tears dropped from his eyes. "I thought I'd have time to explain it to you. I wanted to wait until I had proof about what he was doing, so you'd understand why.""And you didn't think about telling me, even a little?" I said. My voice rose, and I tried to bring it down. "You were afraid he might come after me, and you didn't think I should know?""I thoug

CHAPTER 75

Nobody said anything for a few seconds after that. Julian shifted his leg on the pillow and let out a breath through his nose, and Edris stood there holding his phone like he was waiting for it to say more.⠀"We can't do anything about it tonight," Edris said finally. "Nolan will keep watching the request. If it gets closed, he'll tell me who picked up the file."⠀"And in the meantime?" Julian asked.⠀"In the meantime, Juliana and I go home." Edris looked at me. "If we stay here too long, somebody notices. And you need to be seen at the house, not hiding at a coffee shop for the rest of the day."⠀"I know," I said, picking up my bag. It felt heavier than it had that morning. "I just hate leaving Julian here again."⠀"I'm fine, Jules," Julian said, and gave me a tired smile. "I have a TV, a fridge, and a very bossy security guy who checks on me twice a day. Go home."⠀"Call me if anything feels off," I said, bending down to hug him. He smelled like soap and the same hospital shee

CHAPTER 76

"Okay, I can't decide," Sofia said, tilting the phone toward me. "Pad see ew or drunken noodles. They're basically the same thing, and I hate that."⠀"They're not the same thing," I said. "One of them is sweet, and one of them is spicy."⠀"Right, but I like both." She frowned at the screen. "We could get both and share."⠀"We always end up doing that."⠀"Because it works." She grinned and started tapping. "Do you want the spring rolls? The ones from last time, with the peanut sauce?"⠀"Sure," I said. "Get the spring rolls."⠀She ordered while I pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and tucked it around my legs. It was normal. It was something I had done a hundred times in this room with her. I kept waiting to feel normal doing it.The food showed up forty minutes later, and by then Sofia had complained about waiting four separate times. She opened every container and passed me a fork before I'd even sat up. We ate with the TV on, watching some baking show with a lot of peop