"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