en agonizing seconds. The only sound was the fain
stage. The hard soles of his leather shoes clicked ag
sive frame blocked out the light from the c
ant only for her ears. "Deacon's name is not a bargainin
tilted her head up, meetin
back, her voice steady. "General Deacon saved m
illion miles an hour. She rapidly calculated the p
uld easily use this naive, broke girl as a puppet to plant spies directly inside Deacon's heavily
a mask of deep, maternal compassion. She stepped
ly, placing a gentle hand on the patriarch's arm. "Maybe a
ow, furious growl ripped from his throat. He couldn't be
t. His fingers clamped down like an iron vic
teeth, his breath hot against her face. "You are goin
oked down at his hand, and then up at his face. Her
rm back, twisting her wris
ing sure the surrounding guests heard her. "Show so
d from his lips. A sudden, inexplicable, and entirely nameless void crashed v
pain of loss. His brain immediately co
He looked at his grandson, who was losing control of
cane and slammed it
d of elites. His face shifted back into the s
Peregrine announced into the microphone, "the Chavez f
g authority of the patriarch, the guests quickly forced smiles onto
iel's face. She looked incredibly relieved. His heart squeez
urt. He just knew he wa
, socially flawless curtsy to the patriarch. She
to spend another second breathing
e walked with elegant, measured steps straight towa
he Red Sea. Their eyes were filled with inten
rd. His instinct screamed
and clamped onto his bi
s whisper. "Do not make a scene over a woman wh
of the hallway hit her face, instantly washing away th
in the polished steel doors. She looked at her own young, healthy face
a long, sh
turned around, and watched the doors close, completely shutting
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