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“Listen – about eighteen months ago, during the year you dumped me, Tyler had me working on a regular basis with this guy called Adam who he was trying to butter up. Adam fell in love with me and wanted to buy my contract. Tyler refused, so Adam asked me to escape.” She spoke in rapid undertones, glancing around the room and smiling pleasantly at anyone who walked by .

Over in the distance, Alex could see Mick talking to one of the other security guards who was working the event. “How?” he asked. “How is it even possible?”

“I’ve always had a lot more freedom than Tyler’s given you,” she explained.

“He didn’t even have me microchipped back then, because he didn’t want you knowing I was his IS.

He arranged for me and Adam to meet in hotel rooms and restaurants, so we were able to talk freely.

Adam gave me a burner nanopad and some cash cards, and we arranged a date for me to escape.

He told me he’d get me out of the country and then join me, so that we could be together. ”

“But you didn’t go?”

“No. I was too scared.” She made a face.

“Also, I didn’t love Adam, and I didn’t want to tie myself to him out of gratitude.

I went into my IS contract with Tyler with my eyes open – I knew what I was getting into.

I decided I’d prefer to work out my contract than run away and live in fear of Tyler’s retribution for the rest of my life.

So I stayed – but I kept the nanopad and money.

I managed to smuggle them back into my room and hide them there, and that’s where they’ve been ever since – until this evening.

” She opened her sequinned evening bag, and Alex caught a glimpse of the nanopad and several cash cards.

She closed the bag again, quickly. “You can have them and use them to get away,” she told him.

“How?” he demanded. “I’m chipped, in case you’ve forgotten.” He pointed at the flashing red light pulsing in his wrist. “If I cut it out, Tyler’s security team will be on me immediately. I’d never get out of the building.”

“The microchip only sends an alarm if it’s exposed to the air for more than thirty seconds,” she told him.

“So?”

“So we cut it out of your wrist and put it in mine.”

“How the hell do we do that?” he hissed.

“I’ve got a razor in here.” She patted her bag.

“We can go into the disabled toilet down the hallway, lock ourselves in, and do it. I’ve brought a plaster to put over the wound afterwards, and this bracelet that I asked Lorenzo to let me wear…

” She pointed at the thick gold bangle on her wrist. “It’ll cover the plaster.

Nobody will know. I can gi ve you an hour’s head start.

Then I’ll remove the chip and the alarm will go off. Any longer, and I risk getting caught.”

“No. It’ll place you in too much danger. Tyler will go nuts.” Alex shook his head vehemently. “If he finds out you helped me…”

“He won’t. I’ll flush your chip down the toilet in an hour’s time. That’s when the alarm will go off, but they’ll think you did it, working alone. Before that, the chip will show you spent the evening in the ballroom, which is exactly where they’re expecting you to be.”

“What if Mick notices I’m missing?”

“I don’t think he will. He’s not looking for any trouble, and there are a lot of people here. If he asks where you are, I’ll say I saw you in a corner with one of your targets, or that you’re in the toilet.”

Alex thought about it for a moment, his heart thumping loudly in his chest, and then he shook his head again. “No, I can’t do it. I can’t leave you here with Tyler.”

“It’s my choice. I had my chance – this is yours,” she told him staunchly.

“Why?” He stared at her helplessly.

“Because I can’t bear to watch what he’s doing to you.

” Her voice hitched as she spoke. “He will break you one day, Alex. His mind is set on it, and I’ve never known George Tyler to not get what he’s determined to have.

Not once. The only time it happened was, I suspect, with your mother, which is why he hates you so much. ”

“Why now, if you’ve known of a way out all this time?”

“This conference is the first opportunity I’ve had to get you out of the range of Tyler’s smartwalls.

I’ve been thinking about it since he made you beg and crawl on your hands and knees in front of us all.

I wasn’t sure if I’d go through with it, but I can’t stand by and watch him break you, Alex – not if there’s another way.

I helped get you into this mess in the first place, and I’d do anything to get you out of it. Please, let me help you.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw Rebecca enter the room wearing a salmon-pink dress that did little to flatter her figure.

She was looking around eagerly, searching for him, and he thought of what the evening held if he turned down Solange’s offer.

He’d seduce a sweet woman who’d done nothing to hurt anyone, and then Tyler would hold the evidence over her in the nastiest possible way.

Alex could only imagine how mortifying it would be for someone with her body issues to be blackmailed with pictures of her own nakedness during sex, to say nothing of her sense of betrayal at believing he genuinely wanted her when he was simply luring her into a trap.

What else lay before him here, locked up in George Tyler’s ivory tower, but the promise of more betrayals, more people being blackmailed, and more humiliation? He was already living in dread of the next time Tyler clicked his fingers and called his name.

Escape sounded dangerous but exciting. For the first time in months, he actually had a choice again – but was he brave enough to take it?

“Yes,” he said to Solange. “I want to do it.” At least out there, on the run, there was the chance of something better. In here, as Tyler’s IS, his future was bleak.

She nodded sharply. “Okay. I’m going to go to the disabled toilet down the hallway. Join me there in a few minutes, and we’ll do it.”

She let go of his arm and disappeared into the crowd without a backward glance. The whole exchange had been brief, but Alex knew it could change his life forever.

The next few minutes seemed to last for hours, as he attempted to evade Rebecca Lang while edging his way quietly towards the door. He was almost there when he felt a hand on his arm. His stomach did a sickening flip as he turned to see Rebecca smiling at him uncertainly.

“Hello again. Um… I probably misunderstood earlier… but you said you wanted to sit next to me at dinner?” she said, blushing furiously.

“What?” He glanced anxiously towards the door.

“Oh, I did misunderstand. I’m so sorry!” She looked utterly mortified. “Of course someone as gorgeous as you wouldn’t be interested in someone like me. I feel so embarrassed.”

“Listen.” Alex leaned forward. “You are the most beautiful woman in this room tonight, Rebecca. You have nothing to feel embarrassed about. I would be honoured to sit next to you at dinner, but I’m feeling a little unwell. Will you excuse me?”

“Of course. I’m so sorry. You do look a little pale,” she exclaimed.

At that moment, the compere announced that they should take their seats for dinner.

Alex glanced at the door again. His window of opportunity was vanishing fast, but if he didn’t sleep with Rebecca tonight, then no doubt Tyler would find another way of blackmailing her.

Recklessly, he took hold of her arm and whispered in her ear.

“Tyler is setting you up,” he said urgently. “He wants to blackmail you. Be careful. He’s a shark, and you’re too nice – don’t let him sink his teeth into you.” He pressed a kiss to her startled cheek, then turned and walked away as fast as he could.

His heart was thumping wildly as he left the ballroom, trying to walk as nonchalantly as possible. He found the disabled toilet along the hallway and knocked on the door. Solange opened it, and he slipped inside.

“What kept you?” she hissed.

“Rebecca.” He made a face. “Poor thing. I had to warn her about Tyler. I hope she stays out of his clutches.”

“You have other things to worry about now,” Solange chided. She handed him the nanopad and cash cards with shaking fingers.

“Here.” She pointed to a map on the nanopad.

“This shows where all the CCTV cameras are in the building. I took the info off Ted’s holopad – he doesn’t know I’m doing this.

Avoid the cameras as much as possible, and act as if you know where you’re going.

Nobody will stop you if you stroll around like you own the place.

Only Mick knows you’re not allowed to be walking around freely, and he’s in the ballroom.

Go out this way.” She pointed on the map.

“Go downstairs and out through the catering area. You might want to steal something to put over your tux, or throw it away – it’s kind of distinctive.

You need to get as far away from here as quickly as possible.

Tyler’s men will be after you as soon as they know you’re gone, and while I’m hoping I can buy you an hour, you might not have that long. ”

Alex stood there, chewing on his lip uncertainly. “I don’t know where to go,” he admitted. “I can’t go to my father’s house, and I don’t have any friends who’d harbour me.”

“You have to get out of the country ASAP,” she urged. “That’s what Adam was going to do for me. There’s a number programmed into the nanopad that you can call once you’re out. Whoever answers will be able to help. ”

Alex nodded, trying to muster his courage. “Okay.” He took a deep breath. “Okay,” he repeated.

“When you get out of the building, cross the road and walk until you reach the bus stop. Bus ducks leave Ghost Eye every ten minutes. You need to get off the city as soon as possible and put as much distance between yourself and Tyler’s security team as you can.”

“Yes. I understand.”