NEVER YOURS TO LOSE
"Your assistant told mine."
"I know," she said. "I let him."
Something moved through his eyes. She turned toward the building entrance before he could speak.
"Inside," she said. "We're not doing this on a pavement."
She had chosen a members' club neither of them frequented — neutral ground, no familiar faces, the kind of place that understood discretion as a primary service. A quiet room near the back. Low lighting. A table in the corner that put a wall behind her and a clear sightline to the door.