Page 69 of Knot Like Other Girls

And how successful I've been.

"Bella." Roman's voice is gentle, drawing my attention back to him. "We don't think this woman is working alone. The assassination attempt in Spain was too professional, too well-coordinated. We believe she may be working with others, possibly providing inside information."

"Inside information?" I repeat, my brow furrowing. "But how would she..."

I trail off as Liam pulls up a photo on his phone. "This is her," he says, holding it out to me. "Heather Patton. Does she look familiar?"

I lean in, studying the image. She's pretty in a generic, Instagram-influencer kind of way. Long blonde hair, perfect makeup, dazzling smile. But there's something in her eyes, a hardness that doesn't match the rest of her carefully curated image.

And then it hits me.

"Oh my God," I breathe, my hand flying to my mouth. "I've met her."

The alphas exchange sharp glances. "You're sure?" Roman presses.

I nod, the memory flooding back with sickening clarity. "It was at one of Braxley's product launch parties, maybe two months ago? She was working as a hostess, I think. She spilled a drink on me and was so apologetic, insisted on helping me clean up in the bathroom."

"Did anything seem off about her?" Savva asks, his fingers poised over his tablet, ready to take notes.

I close my eyes, trying to recall every detail of our interaction. "She was... overly friendly, I think. But I don't really remember. Kept asking me questions about Braxley, about our relationship. But..."

"Now it seems like she was fishing for information," Liam finishes grimly.

I nod, feeling sick to my stomach. "Oh God, I'm so stupid."

"Hey, no," Troy says, his voice uncharacteristically serious. He moves to sit next to me on the couch, close enough that I can feel the warmth radiating off him. "You had no way of knowing. This isn't your fault."

I want to believe him, but the anxiety—and the guilt—is a lead weight in my stomach. If I had been more careful, more observant...

"Troy's right," Roman says, his tone brooking no argument. "You're not to blame for this. But now that we know you've had direct contact with her, we need to be even more vigilant. Bella, I need you to think carefully. Did she say or do anything else that seemed odd? Anything at all, no matter how small it might seem."

I rack my brain, trying to remember every moment of our interaction. "No, I don't think so. She was just nosy. But everyone is. I didn't think anything of it, so I didn't try to remember the specifics of what she was saying. Especially since she kept apologizing for spilling a drink on me."

"That's a classic surveillance technique," Savva says, glancing up from his tablet. His eyes are narrowed. "Get close to the target, create a reason for isolated contact."

"What do you mean?" I ask, my stomach dropping.

"The bathroom," Roman explains, his voice tight. "She engineered a private moment to question you without witnesses. To gather intelligence."

"And feeding that information to whoever planned the hit," Troy adds grimly.

I feel the blood drain from my face as the implications sink in. All this time, I thought that encounter was just an awkward moment at a party.

But it was calculated.

Deliberate.

I'd been profiled without even knowing it.

"Bella." Liam's voice is gentle, drawing my attention to him. "I know this is a lot to take in. But I want you to remember something. You're stronger than you think. Those self-defense lessons? They're not just for show. You're learning real skills that could save your life."

I offer him a weak smile despite my nervous laugh. "Thanks, Liam. Guess I just never thought I'd need to use them, you know?"

"No one ever does," Cole says quietly. "But when the moment comes, you'll be ready."

His words settle over me, chasing away some of the chill that's taken root in my bones. I nod, straightening my spine. "Okay. What do you need me to do?"

Roman's lips quirk up in a ghost of a smile. "That's the spirit. For now, I need you to go about your daily routine as normally as possible. But I want you to be hyper-aware of your surroundings. If anything seems off, no matter how small, you tell one of us immediately. Understood?"

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