Page 103 of Fractured Allegiance
She was the message.
She’s standing at the edge of the room now, like the floor might collapse under her if she breathes wrong.
But she’s not afraid.
She’s analyzing.
Same as me.
She glances down at the envelope again.
I watch her hand.
No tremor.
No hesitation.
It’s not that she’s not scared.
It’s that she’s decided not to be.
That makes my chest tighten in a way I can’t name.
She turns away before I can say anything again. Heads toward the kitchen like she needs something cold in her hands just to stay grounded.
I don’t follow yet.
The door is locked behind us, but that doesn’t mean this place is secure.
It just means no one else is coming in without being seen.
Whoever left that message?
They didn’t come in.
They didn’t need to.
They already knew exactly where we’d be.
And that means we’re not just being watched anymore.
We’re being choreographed.
She moves like nothing’s wrong.
She’s moves to the sink, one hand gripping the counter, the other cradling a glass she hasn’t lifted to her lips. The water’s untouched. A heavy stillness hangs between us, humid and hard to name.
She finally speaks without turning around.
“Tell me what you’re thinking.”
My voice is steady. “I’m thinking someone wanted us to find it together.”
She does turn now.
Her eyes catch mine with zero hesitation.
“You think they knew you’d be here?”
