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CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Evangeline

I haven't told Knight, but my knees haven't stopped shaking since the coffee shop. I grip the edge of the bathroom sink, watching the stranger in the mirror try to process what I've just done to another woman. The face staring back at me feels foreign, hollowed out by guilt. The taste of mint toothpaste can’t quite wash away the acid burn of guilt.

When I finally emerge, Knight is still at his workstation, typing with the kind of focused intensity that suggests something is bothering him.

"We need to deal with your clothing situation," he says without looking up from his screens. "I made a call." His tone is clipped, the words an interruption rather than an invitation to chat.

"A call?"

"Magdalena is bringing some things you need. Rook's girlfriend," he adds when I don't respond.

I look down at the sweats and t-shirt he loaned me. "I thought no one was allowed up here."

"They're not. Not without invitation, anyway." His attention stays on whatever he's working on. "Which is why we're going down to meet her."

He pushes away from the desk. “She should be arriving any time now.”

The elevator responds to his code, descending smoothly to the lobby. Knight checks his phone, a muscle ticking in his jaw. The lobby is empty when we arrive, just polished floors and glass doors looking out onto the street.

“Stay here.” He strides outside to where a woman stands next to a car. She hands him several bags with a smile, like she knows how to navigate his discomfort without pushing him. Knight’s shoulders remain stiff, his nod curt. Their conversation is too quiet to hear, but his irritation is obvious in every line of his body. When she briefly touches his arm, he tolerates it rather than welcomes it, and I can almost feel the distance he’s trying to maintain.

"Here." He returns with the bags. "Magdalena said everything should fit."

The elevator ride back up is silent. I hold the bags, trying not to think about the kind of family that understands when someone needs help but won't ask questions about why.

"There's a phone in there," he says as we reach his floor. "She said she’s already added her number to the contacts in case you need anything else."

“What if I use it to report you?”

“Do it. See what happens.”

I sigh. "You don't like asking for help at all, do you?"

"What I don't like is having my routines disrupted." He heads straight for his workstation. "Put those in the guest room. We need to review the infiltration plans."

The bags yield carefully chosen items—practical clothes that could blend anywhere, underwear that makes me want to cry with relief, even a dress that could pass for business wear. Everything selected to help without drawing attention. A small note is tucked into the side pocket. I unfold it.

Call if you need anything - D

The kindness feels so out of place in this world that it knots my stomach.

After setting the bags in the guest room, I go and join Knight at his workstation. His expression suggests getting me necessities was just the first step in whatever he's planning.

"Thank you." I sink into the chair beside him. "For getting Magdalena to help."

He doesn't acknowledge my gratitude, pulling up building schematics instead. "Hardwick’s information gives us a way in, but the timing has to be perfect. One mistake and every security system in Horizon Tech activates. Her access card can only be used during normal business hours without it flagging as unusual."

I study the layouts, trying not to think about how we obtained them.

"Stop." Knight's voice cuts through my spiral. "What's done is done. Focus on what's next."

"Which is?"

"Getting into their core systems to prevent the virus from taking control." He zooms in on a section of the schematics, his fingers moving quickly, highlighting key points. "Hardwick's access gets us through the first checkpoint, but after that we have exactly twelve minutes to reach the server room before security rotation changes."

The minutes turn into hours as Knight reviews every detail of the schematics and security protocols. His focus stays sharp, attention never wavering while I have to force myself to keep up.

"The override has to be done manually." He expands another section. "Their mainframe is completely isolated from external networks. No remote access possible."

"So we have to physically reach it."

"While looking like we belong there." He taps a few keys, overlaying the security footage with motion patterns of the guards. "Hence solving the clothing issue first."

Hours pass as we review security patterns, access protocols, everything Hardwick provided. Knight's focus never wavers, but something has shifted in how he works with me. The sharp edges are still there, but they're less aimed at keeping me at a distance. He explains patiently, ensuring I understand every step of the plan.

He finally leans back, rubbing his eyes. "I need a break. We have an early start tomorrow, and I need to be sharp."

The exhaustion I've been fighting crashes over me. Between manipulating Hardwick this morning and spending hours reviewing security protocols I barely understand, I’m struggling to keep my eyes open.

"Knight?"

"Hmm?"

"Your family ..." I struggle to find the right words. "They're very different from what I expected."

"They understand complicated situations." A faint smile flickers and vanishes. "And Magdalena is good at helping without asking questions she doesn't want answers to."

I head for the guest room, ready to make use of the bathroom attached to it. A quick search through the bags reveals pajamas tucked among the other clothes. After a shower that washes away some of the day's tension, I slip into the soft cotton pants and top, grateful for this small touch of normalcy.

The bed feels different tonight. Maybe it's being clean. Maybe it's having proper clothes waiting for tomorrow. Or maybe it's knowing that even in Knight's sharp-edged world, there's room for gentle souls like Magdalena who understand when help is needed but questions aren't welcome. It makes me curious about the brother she’s dating. Is he like Knight?

Tomorrow we use everything Hardwick gave us to breach the very security she was supposed to protect. But tonight, I let myself remember that not everything in this world is about manipulation and fear.

Sometimes it's about people who show up when needed, bringing hope wrapped in shopping bags.

I just hope I can hold onto that tomorrow, when we put Hardwick's access codes to the test.