April's POV.It was early afternoon when I finally stopped moving.I stood in the middle of my tiny living room, towel still slung over my head, and let the silence stretch. Filtering through the blinds, the sun felt so warm against the tops of my feet amd the ACs quiet hum was the only sound I could hear. My apartment still smelled like eggs and garlic, thanks to Grandpa dearest.Grandpa Hale was still in there. In my kitchen. He was cooking enough to last me the week because I was beginning to look skinnier.And the longer that thought sat with me, the more something in my chest began to ache. A good ache. A strange one. Like something inside me that had been tight for too long was finally loosening.He really stayed to look after me.I don’t think I’ve ever been... looked after like this.Dropping down onto the armrest of the couch, still towel-drying my hair, I stared out at the buildings across from me. The world looked so normal out there. Like mine hadn't just turned itself ins

April's POVI burst into my apartment like it was on fire. Or maybe like I was on fire, because that was what it felt like. A full-blown, category-five adrenaline surge.I was going to be travelling. By air. Out of Avalon. For the first time in my goddamn life.Well, not first time since I wasn't from Avalon and when Nathan found me, he took me out of there by bus. But on my defence, it was a terrifying experience so I didn't quite count it as travelling.My suitcase lay open on the floor like a hungry mouth and I did quite the job in feeding it everything. Silk blouses, backup socks, flats and heels, power dresses, toothpaste, two kinds of concealer (just in case), and one very squished travel steamer that had never seen a passport in its entire existence.I texted Wren on my way here and the girl didn't waste a second before calling me straight up."Tell me you're not panicking right now," Wren’s voice crackled through speakerphone.What was she even talking about?"I’m panicking."

Sinclair's POVThe jet felt like the bubble of quiet luxury that it was, with the hum of the engine fading into the background like a lullaby. In front of me was my glowing laptop screen that had a spreadsheet full of numbers. Literally a language that I understood better than most.The silence, however, was far from silent. And that was because it kept getting punctuated by a small, frustrated click-click-click.I didn’t look up right away since I kinda already knew what it was. April had been trying to recline her seat again. And failing. Again.I could see her tiny scowl and the determined sef of her jaw as she battled with the elegant and supposedly intuitive controls even without turning around.Awhile ago, she'd tried to open the overhead bin but ended up turning on the reading light. The April I knew was still in there somewhere. She hadn't changed completely.Hearing the soft, defeated sigh from across the cabin, I shook my head and closed the laptop, the click sounding a bit

She gave me a slow, knowing smirk before tapping her temple with a perfectly manicured nail. "Everyone has a past, Bossman."The silence that followed her words was charged with a tension that had nothing to do with the mission. I didn't know her. Not really. And that, I realized, was the most dangerous game of all. I guess.La Domina Royale Casino was a symphony of excess. Gold leaf ceilings, chandeliers that dripped with a thousand crystals, and the quiet, seductive hum of a live jazz band.The air was thick with the scent of money, perfume, and cigars.We walked in as a unit. Alaric Dane, the grizzled oil titan, and Nessa, his stunning, impossibly young companion. Heads turned. Every eye was on us, and I felt the weight of our personas settle over me like a second skin. I could feel the envy, the speculation, the lust. And I could feel her, a warm, faint presence beside me. She was a shield and a weapon all at once.We scanned the VIP section, our eyes subtly moving over the faces.

Sinclair's POVThe time was about five thirty in the morning and Zurich was still sound asleep with the silence sounding so deafening.Standing by the window of my hotel room, I felt the mug grow lighter in my hand, a total contrast to whatever thing the day held for me.I'd already put on my suit. It looked so perfect, just as it was supposed to.Running through the plan again in my head, I rehearsed the numbers and projections to avoid screwing this over.My thoughts got interrupted by a knock on the door.Could tell it was April."Come on in,"I said just loud enough for her to hear me and she walked in, already dressed in her charcoal gray suit too.She had her hair pulled back in an elegant knot."Just wanted to let you know it's almost time to leave,"she reminded and I nodded."Mhmm. I know that,"I replied, looking at her a minute too long."Uh...is there something in my face?"she asked, her hand reaching up for her face."No, it's not that. It just kind of looks like you've been