The magazine clicked empty. Anthony tossed the gun to Charlotte and spoke in a low voice.

Charlotte didn't even flinch. She calmly reloaded, then glanced over her shoulder at the car speeding straight for Anthony's door. Her eyes went cold.

She lifted the gun.

Her shot landed perfectly. The driver slumped. Right then, Anthony swerved, slipping out of harm's way, and the other car veered off the road and crashed into the lake.

Charlotte handed the gun back, then settled into her seat as if nothing had happened.

***

Meanwhile, in the presidential residence of Solenia, the master bedroom was all silk and shadows, a space so large it felt like another world. On the huge, midnight blue bed, a slender woman lay on her side, back turned. Her long, dark hair spilled across the pillow, glossy and thick, almost like a waterfall.

The light was soft, casting everything in a warm, golden glow. It was a scene that felt safe and gentle.

"How's Nora today?"

Franco leaned over, wrapping his arms gently around Nora. He pressed a kiss to her ear, his voice low and rough.

"Franco, Mrs. Hawk seemed better today," the butler replied, careful and respectful. "Except..."

"Except what?"

"She still spends a lot of time just staring off into space."

Franco frowned. He turned Nora toward him, revealing a face so delicate and lovely it was almost unreal.

She was nearly forty, but with her careful routine and flawless skin, she looked no older than twenty-eight.

Nora stared at him, her eyes empty and quiet, her expression frozen. She looked more like a porcelain doll than a living woman.

"You've been back here for over ten years, so what are you always looking for out there?” Franco murmured, brushing a stray lock of hair gently behind her ear. "What is it, Nora?"

He remembered when he'd first found her, her body so close to shutting down. He'd searched everywhere for the best doctors, desperate to keep her alive.

It turned out her real danger came from something even deeper, a mutated gene that kept getting worse. The more it spread, the slower she became, the more distant. Medication was the only thing keeping her conscious.

No matter what he said, Nora never reacted.

Franco's lips twitched in a sad, helpless smile. "Sometimes, when you look at me like that, I wonder if you know everything and just choose to shut me out."

Nora's eyes stayed on his, silent as ever.

Then, as if exhausted, she let her head fall and tucked herself against his chest.

"At the auction today, I saw a girl

who reminded me of you.

Something about her eyes, her

energy," Franco said softly, stroking, Nors hair Do you want to see her?"

FindNovel.net

For some reason, Nora always liked to watch people who looked like her.

"Franco, here's what's happening right now."

The butler pulled out an iPad and brought up the satellite feed.

"People from room two got away with a lot of important meds, but they were ambushed soon after."

Franco's eyes narrowed as he watched the chaos on the screen, his thoughts spinning.

Anthony was behind the wheel, one hand steering, the other holding a gun. Every move he made was smooth and practiced.

And that girl with the attitude...

She sat in the back seat, completely relaxed, looking out the window every so often

like she was just taking in the scenery.

A gunfight, and she was sightseeing?

She was tougher than he'd expected.

No one noticed the moment the screen switched on, Nora's vacant eyes landed on Charlotte. For the first time in ages, her gaze sharpened and her lips moved, almost beyond her control

Lottie.