Page 102 of Agony of Our Regret

Gwen and I have known since the first time we met her that she didn’t like us. I didn’t take it personally. She didn’t seem to like anyone she didn’t directly report to.

Or anyone under the age of thirty.

Why she was heading a project helping teenagers made no sense to me, especially since she shared her opinions on the youths freely.

To her, they were ungrateful and spoiled.

My complaints about being split up after the farm in South Dakota was a huge mark against me. I should have been happy the Society cared about my wellbeing at all.

Gwen went to her desk and pulled out the blueprints we were here for. “This should only take a minute,” she told me, as she pulled out her phone and started taking pictures.

I sat at one of the empty desk chairs and swung back and forth, watching Beth go through the next cabinet.

“I helped organize those a few weeks ago. I can probably point you in the right direction if yo––”

“No,” Beth cut me off.

I rolled my eyes in Gwen’s direction, and she smirked before flipping to the next page.

It was unusual for the woman to be here on a Saturday afternoon. The rest of the floor was completely empty. The two of us only came in because of the emergency. If there was anything else needed, Daniel would have told us since he knew we were coming in.

So, what did Beth need?

I picked up my phone and sent Gwen a text.

Me: Ask her what she’s doing here

Gwen hesitated and turned her phone vertical from taking a photo and glanced at me with a raised brow then typed.

Gwen: She said she doesn’t need help

Me: It’s weird she’s here

Me: Use your ability

Gwen went back to taking pictures and I thought she was going to ignore me, but really, she was just way more natural than me.

“You should tell us what you’re doing, Beth.”

There was nothing unusual about her tone. Gwen’s ability to influence people to do what she said was as discrete as she needed it to be.

Beth looked toward her with a glare. “I’m looking for the list of past teenagers we’ve hidden.”

“Why?” I asked.

“None of your business,” she snarled.

“Tell us why you want that information,” Gwen stated.

Beth tilted her chin; she might have caught on to what Gwen was doing but she couldn’t fight it. “I need to add them to the list of our members.”

“Tell us why.”

“So I have a complete list,” Beth was getting around the question, but Gwen grinned. She knew.

“Tell us why you need a complete list.”

“To have the names of all the Society members with their abilities.”

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