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No one knew I was here.

And Hadria wouldneverbe so foolish as to send me flowers here.

I raise up my hands, ready to put my training into action, but my fingers won't seem to close, won't turn into the fists I need…

My head is swimming. No…the whole room is swimming, and I'm going under…

"Nothing personal, you understand," the man says with a cheery smile. "Just business, ma'am. Give it another second and it'll all be ov?—"

CHAPTER 31

Hadria

I waita long time at the café.

I told Aurora I would wait only an hour, but I wait much longer than that, buying coffee after coffee that I don't drink, and leave to one side to get cold, get removed, get replaced by a hot coffee that inevitably turns cold.

At one point, the owner comes out to ask me if I ever plan to move along. With a hard stare, I slide three thousand dollars cash across the table to him. "I'll leave when I'm ready," I tell him.

"Yes, indeed, ma'am," he says, his eyes lighting up as he palms the bills. "You stay as long as you like."

But when the late afternoon sun is beginning to die, and the waitstaff have been sent home, and the owner himself is turning away other patrons at the door, telling them that he's shut for the day, I finally have to admit it to myself.

Aurora has made her choice.

She's not coming.

What happened to Aurora—and will Hadria find out?