, I reached for my phone. My hand

"Mark," my closest colleague at the Bureau, before continuing down to "Davi

is voice thick with sleep. "Ethan? I

my voice low and even, devoid of any emotion. I walke

of the line. "Whoa, what? Ethan, what ha

r routine felt alien, a motion from a life that was no longer mine. "I want it done today. File it. I'll come by l

. Are you sure you don't wa

nality in my own voice sur

lt a weight lift from my shoulders, a toxic burden I hadn't realized

wide, brilliant smile on her face. She was holding up

t it amazing? It's the prototype for his new line. It tracks vi

y head slightly so her lips landed on my

's wr

red," I said, handing

Because Alex is my mentor and one of the most important connect

In the first timeline, it would have stung.

n briefing. We were heading out of state for a week to provide security for a major tech summit. A summit where Al

. "Ready for the big trip?" His eyes fell on Sarah's hand as she gest

Alex Thornton,"

trip? The security checkpoint for the summit is no joke. They're screening for a

issive hand. It was the exac

at will and won't pass a security scan. It's a consumer-grad

my partner. I just took a slow sip of my coffee and said nothing. I saw th

e dripping with a superiority that grated on Mark. I remembered the first time this happened. I had jumped in, pla

was never truly returned. This time, I wouldn't try to save her from her own choices. I would stand back and let the f