"The Shadow of the Billionaire"

evening, Alice had not stopped staring at it, as if it would reveal to her, by some miracle, what she ha

ored it. She shoul

le to put the conversation from the night before behind her

u a chance to wr

f losing control, of feeling like a mere piece o

bothering to touch it. Her hands skimmed her phone, hesitant. She had deleted

ar

ha

eth

Hartman, who claimed to hav

anted to run, to convince herself she didn't need answers. But another

was app

on black ankle boots before head

he hustle and bustle of the crowded streets, she found herself in front of a discreet but visibly lux

ut the man barely looked at her

s waiting for y

ime to be surprised. Of co

r. The doors opened onto a vast living room wit

Hartman in a black leather chair, a glass of whi

when she entered,

you wou

o ignore the shiver that ran thr

st didn'

ble smile tou

you ar

, preferring to m

she fina

d slightly, resting h

ly one who can understan

an eyebrow,

know what you

ot

d for her

cross from him, crossing her legs with an ap

irled the amber liquid bef

e. I played a part in what happened to

t skippe

lain

a long time before pu

usinesses, markets.

frow

stin

anticipate flaws, weaknes

a thrill

with Ethan was part of

dded

Ye

that answer

yed my relatio

seem troubled b

. I merely created the condition

enched h

r wh

doomed to fail. And others

, but something told her that Gabriel wa

nced Ethan..

in the right plac

urge of anger

ed people. You

e set y

od up a

iny. You play with other people's

at her, calm,

t, here

no words came. He was right. She had come.

you want

ile

a file and slowly pl

e. A proposition that coul

down again, staring at the back

's w

cont

ked up

tract f

ngers on the back, sl

y your life took this turn? Do

odded

o s

gaze flickering between Gabrie

t if

se. You agree to see

rt was

if I

n slightly, his ga

o live a lie, never

hoi

pa

d for the pen lying

she was about to cross a line fr

he tired of being a spe

owed onto

er, a new