LOVE and RUSE
It was, like its wearer, one of a kind, and imbued with a powerful aura that seemed to resonate with the very air around her.
Surrounded by four guards—two leading and two flanking her—Evelyn walked through the hallways of the Consortium. The staff, who had lined the corridors in solemn attendance, bowed in unison as she passed. Their greeting, though respectful, was met with nothing more than a cold glance from Evelyn. Inside, she yearned to offer them a warm smile, to acknowledge their loyalty with a touch of humanity, but the words of her grandfather echoed in her mind, "A show of emotion makes you a target." She moved forward, her heels clicking against the marble floor with the precisio