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CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

Evangeline

Morning comes too soon, bringing with it the suffocating weight of what I have to do today. I've barely slept, spending most of the night staring into the darkness, while going over the plan. I’ve spent hours trying to convince myself that manipulating Amanda Hardwick is a means to an end. A necessary evil.

But the truth is undeniable. It’s no different from what was done to me.

Knight is already at his computers when I emerge from the bedroom, or maybe he never left them. The screens cast ghostly blue shadows that accentuate the tiredness etched on his face. His jawline, peppered with stubble, tightens almost imperceptibly when I enter. The memory of the kiss we shared hangs between us like a live wire.

"Coffee's fresh." His voice carries traces of exhaustion. "You should eat something before we do this." He hands me a protein bar.

The wrapper crinkles in my hands, as I unwrap it. “Don’t you keep real food here?” The flavor of it is no better than the first time I ate one.

He doesn’t reply, but his lips twitch, while his fingers move across multiple keyboards with the precision of a surgeon.

"Her routine's consistent." He finally looks up from his screens. "She stops at the same coffee shop every morning before work. Orders the same drink. Sits at the same table." His mouth flattens into a grim line. "People are creatures of habit. It makes them predictable."

"Makes them vulnerable, you mean." I can't keep the bitterness from my voice. "Easier to manipulate."

His jaw tightens. "You can still back out."

A bitter laugh escapes me before I can stop it. "No, I can't." We both know the truth. There’s no turning back now. "Can we go through what I need to do again?"

He turns his chair to face me, eyes searching mine with an intensity that makes me want to look away. "Make contact. Build rapport. Let her see someone who understands her situation."

"While wearing a wire so you can tell me what to say?" The protein bar wrapper crumples in my fist.

"While wearing an earpiece so I can keep you safe ." He stands, moving to retrieve something from his equipment cabinet. "And so I can warn you if she gets suspicious, or if someone is watching."

The earpiece he hands me is tiny, barely visible once it's in place. His fingers brush my ear as he helps position it, the brief contact igniting a warmth inside me that I have no right to feel.

"Testing." His voice comes through crystal clear. "Nod if you can hear me."

I nod, unable to speak. His proximity is too close, his touch too careful, and my thoughts too chaotic. Satisfied, he steps back, his usual distance a cold comfort as he shifts back into professional mode.

"The coffee shop is four blocks from here." He hands me a tablet with Amanda's photograph on it. "Remember, you're not there to threaten her. You're there to convince her that helping us is in her best interest."

"You mean manipulate her into thinking she has no choice."

His expression hardens. "I mean give her a chance to do the right thing before we have to consider alternatives, and probably stop her going to prison when she fucks up with what she’s doing."

The implications of 'alternatives' hangs heavy in the air between us. I wrap my arms around myself, fighting off the chill that has nothing to do with the room's temperature.

"Her daughter's name is Sarah." Knight's voice softens slightly. "She's eight. Use that, but carefully. Make it about understanding, not threat."

He gives me a long look, frowning.

“What?”

“You need clean clothes.” He walks past me and disappears down the hallway. I follow at a slower pace, and meet him in the center of the living room. “They’re probably too big, but at least they’re clean.” He hands me a pair of black sweatpants and a T-shirt.

I take them slowly.

“Go and get changed, then we’ll leave.”

There’s no point in arguing, and I’m desperate to get out of the clothes I’ve been wearing for the past two days, so I go back to the guest bedroom, take a shower, and change. I have to roll up the legs of the sweats a little, and tighten the cord around my waist. The T-shirt isn’t as bad, just long and baggy. I rake my hands through my hair, then go back to where Knight is waiting for me.

His eyes sweep over me, then he gives one slow nod.

“That’ll do. Let’s go.”

Knight drills me on the walk to the coffee shop, making me run through all the rehearsed scenarios and plans. His voice remains steady in my ear, feeding me information about Amanda's routine, her habits, and the best way to approach her.

He stays outside when we reach the coffee shop, and I take a deep breath, then push through the door. Amanda Hardwick is already at her usual table when I enter, exactly where Knight said she'd be. Dark circles under her eyes suggest she's not sleeping well. The fingers wrapped around her coffee cup have chipped nail polish—small but clear signs of someone whose life is fraying at the edges. I know, because I’ve been there.

"Remember," Knight's voice is soft in my ear. "You're just someone who understands her struggle. No pressure. Not yet."

I order coffee I don't want, letting my hands shake slightly as I carry it to her table. "Is this seat taken?"

She glances up, wariness clear in her expression. "I'm waiting for someone."

"No, you're not." The words come out gentle, understanding. The words are a calculated gamble. "You're hiding from the silence of your empty apartment. From the space where Sarah's laughter should be."

Her spine stiffens, her grip on her mug tightening. "Who are you?"

"Someone who understands what it feels like when the system is rigged against you." I settle into the chair across from her, keeping my movements slow and non-threatening. "When everything you've built starts falling apart."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"The custody battle."

Keep it gentle. Understanding. Knight’s voice is a constant whisper in my ear.

"The legal fees that keep mounting. The impossible choice between paying your lawyer and paying your rent."

"How do you ..." Her voice catches. "What do you want?"

"To help." The lie tastes like acid, burning its way up my throat. "To offer you a way to keep your daughter."

Knight's voice comes through clear and steady. "You're doing well. Keep her focused on Sarah."

"I don't need help." Amanda starts to stand. "Especially not from a stranger who knows more than they should."

"What would you do to keep her?" The question freezes her halfway out of her chair. "To make sure she stays with you? To give her the life she deserves?"

She sinks back down slowly. "Who are you really?"

"Someone who needs access to Horizon Tech's systems." No point hiding it now. "Someone with the ability to make your legal troubles disappear if you help us."

"Or make them worse if I don't?" Bitterness edges her words. "Is that the threat?"

"It's not a threat." But we both know it is. "It's an opportunity. Help us, and your custody battle goes away. Your financial problems disappear." I lean forward slightly. "Sarah stays with you."

"And if I refuse?"

Knight's voice comes through steady and cold. "Tell her she doesn't want to find out."

I ignore him. "Then you go back to watching your life fall apart piece by piece. Back to lying awake wondering how long before you lose everything." I touch her hand gently. "Or you can let us help you."

She doesn't pull away. "What kind of access?"

"Minimal." Another lie. "Just enough to prevent something dangerous from happening. No one gets hurt. Nothing gets damaged." I squeeze her fingers gently. "And you get to keep your daughter. It’s better than what you’re currently doing."

Minutes tick by while she processes. I can almost see her weighing options, calculating risks, trying to find a way out that doesn't exist. Just like I did when someone offered to help me find Michael.

"What do you need me to do?" Her voice comes out barely above a whisper.

Knight's satisfied exhale sounds in my ear, but all I feel is sick. Because I just did exactly what was done to me. Used someone's desperation against them. Turned their pain into a weapon.