He pulled a document and a pen from his briefcase and held them out to her. "Sign it. From now on, you''ll do exactly as I say, no questions asked."


    Sofia took the papers, flipping through each page. The terms were straightforward. She was supposed to work with Nathaniel to get close to Bailey and secure a paper marked "Top Secret." In exchange, Nathaniel would make sure she stayed safe, help her get settled when she returned home, and support her n to get back at Reese. On top of that, he''d give her a hundred thousand dors a month until the job was done.


    She didn''t even hesitate. Picking up the pen, she signed her name at the bottom.


    Nathaniel slipped the document away, looking pleased. "Pack up. We''re leaving in an hour."


    So soon? The thought shed through Sofia''s mind, but she remembered what she''d agreed to. She just nodded and walked to her bedroom.


    Nathaniel waited by the door, taking in the apartment. The ce was small, but chaos lingered in every corner. An Hermès Birkin bagy open on the floor, a limited-edition lipstick poking out. A wine ss had tipped over on the carpet, the deep red stain spreading out, ugly and raw. On the sofa sat a crumpled Chanel gown, a couple of pearls missing from the hem and rolling under the coffee table.


    All of it told him just how rattled Sofia had been before he arrived.


    In her bedroom, Sofia yanked open the closet, grabbing designer clothes and tossing them into her suitcase without a second thought. Then she remembered and reached back for her passport and bank cards on the nightstand, gripping them tight.


    An hourter, she followed Nathaniel out of the apartment. Downstairs, a sleek ck Bentley waited, its windows tinted so dark it was impossible to see inside. A bodyguard took her suitcase, loaded it in the trunk, and never said a word.


    Inside the car, the leather seats seemed to swallow her up. Nathaniel handed her a cup of water, the bone china delicate in her hands.


    "Have some water. Once we''re back home, that''s when things really start."


    Sofia wrapped her fingers around the cup. The heat pressed into her skin, but it couldn''t touch the cold inside her she stared out the Window Neon lights shed past and blurred together, just like her tangled thoughts.


    She had no idea what was waiting for her with Nathaniel, but she knew there was no turning back now.


    Reese, just wait. The words echoed in her mind, her eyes dark with hatred. Her nails dug into her palm until she felt the sting, but she didn''t stop. Everything I lost, I''ll get back myself.


    The car glided out of the city, heading for the airport. Night pressed in, thick and heavy, swallowing them up and erasing every trace they left behind.


    ***


    Back home, the hospital''s VIP room glowed with soft yellow light, catching tiny dust motes drifting in the air.


    Matthewy propped up on the bed, memory foam pillows at his back, a light silk nket covering him. He held his phone and read the message from West.


    "All three registries just finished searching. We found a


    He''s


    donor-ny-two percent match, male thirty five, no health issues... We''ve already made contact. agreed to further gic testing and a physical. He shouldnd at ten tomorrow morning."


    A smile broke across Matthew''s face. "They found a match."


    On the nearby sofa, Reese sat curled up in a cream knit cardigan, the color


    making her skin glow. She looked up, hope flickering in her eyes. "Really?"


    He nodded. The relief in her gaze made him smile, a weight finally lifting from his chest.


    For weeks, he''d been trapped


    between hope and despair, watching Reese exhaust herself day after day-managing his care, handling Grace''s case, neverining. The guilt was overwhelming He''d even prepared himself for the VF n, but the thought of putting Reese through that... he just couldn''t.