The Art of Vengeance

sanctuary overlooking the city. I knew from my research that he would be taking private meetings with

al. It was a lie, but a plausible one. As I approached the office, I saw Liam turning someo

ghed. "Noah is not seeing

nal. "My journal is very influential. A feature on his philan

good PR. That was his weakness. He always thought he was managi

aid, finally stepping

ed up, annoyed at the interruption, but his expression shifted when he saw me. It was a f

aid into the phone and hung u

Liam explained quickly. "Just a

t World Quarterly? I wasn' t aware you were in t

clean, impersonal. A room designed to project power, not personality. My eyes landed on a small, framed photo on th

ere?" he asked, a hint o

seat opposite him. "What draws you to a piece? Is it t

the tiny recording device inside. I needed more than

the right answers, the ones his PR team had coached him on. All the while, his eyes

boy, stood in the doorway, holding a small, worn-out stuffed b

s a tiny whisper. "Mom

nished as soon as he saw me watching. He forced a

the desk. He didn' t look at Noah

sked, his voice strain

Ethan mumbled.

I' m so sorry. He' s just a little overwhelmed." She glanced at me, a flash of pure venom in her

meeting mine. There was a flicker of recognition in them that startled me. But he wasn' t looking at my new face. He was

y free spirit. I kept it as a reminder of the nai

on it. I saw his lips fo

d this child know that name? He wou

I knew, with a certainty that chilled me to the bone, that this was not just a random me

osure rattled. "I apologize. It

e. I stood up, my mission accomplished. I had what I needed on the recorder, but

the door, he spoke

he said. "It' s

d, and walked out without looking back, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm against my r