on her tongue. It had to be believable. It had to

cited tone into her voice. "A really big one. At the

a legend in their department, a Nobel nominee

t wide. "No way," Maya brea

er nerve. "It was a last-minute opening. They need me to start immediately,

t worked. Their suspicion melted away,

loe asked, her curiosity getting the be

's the driver the institute sent to pi

ith congratulations and promises to visit. The guilt was a physical weight in Clara'

ettled," she promised, another

oom and down the hallway

t like crossing a threshold into another dimension. The doo

t he saw the redness in her eyes. He saw the determined set of he

s phone buzzed. He answered it, his voic

ndfa

hear the faint, booming voice of an older man on

Where is she? Is she with you? You haven't scared her

re beside me," Damian said, and fo

delight. "Bring her home! Right now! I'll hav

ian's lips. "We're going to City Hall first," h

t was a tiny crack in his icy facade, and it transformed his face, making hi

rk blur past the window. She thought of the few thousand dollars she had in her savings account, painstakingly

year deal. Her future was still her own, defined

mfort, she wondered if she could truly keep herself separate. Could she wal

urb in front of the grand, columned

turned to her. He extend

his voice low. "You'll have t