ational Airport VIP lounge. It was the designated assemb

sized black sunglasses, a sleek designer trench coat, a

n genuine surprise. He had fully expected the notorious Sera Beaumont to

. "This is the Team Manager handbook. It contains all the logis

apidly scanning the text. Her brain automatically memorized the daily

mall wireless microphone to the lapel of Sera's trench coat. The tiny re

b, Ms. Beaumont, is to serve the guests. You manage their schedules, you

e tilted her head and offered a sw

voice dripping with artificial enthusias

desert resort in Nevada, the staging ground where t

rypted tablet, shielding the screen from the cameras. She ran a rapid,

st in a tech startup. He was drowning in hidden debt. His public image on this r

with her background. With a few rapid keystrokes, she altered a single entry on Ethan Vance's digital c

mulating a dozen different, highly effective ways to t

flickered ominously for a long moment, a clear sign of the aging hotel's occasionally unreliable power grid,

the entire fifth floor. The guests arrive tonight. Your fi

her phone. Felicity "Fifi" Lowell. Diana

name was heavily blurred out, sim

irely. Her focus was locked onto

eded to scout the hallway layout, memorize the blind spots

piled high with used dishes and discarded linens. Tucked discreetly on the bottom shelf was a large, industrial metal ice bucket, half-melted but absolutely perfect for he

the lobby to get a new one. This gave Sera a precious window of absolute privacy. As she passed the elevator bank, she noticed another

or bell ch

ed out. He was wearing a dark baseball cap pulled

ogether instantly. Kian was the

ng was horr

took one step out of the elevator and stumbled heavily

attering loudly against the floorboards

g to his throat. He clawed at his collar. His chest

e immediate, terrifying signs of severe anaphylacti

he sprinted down the hallway toward him as his kn