Chapter 1
“Plan B,” Lucas said, his voice devoid of any emotion. “Swallow it. Now.”
Bella looked at the small white tablet in his palm. It was the final transaction of their arrangement. She took the pill, placing it on her tongue, and washed it down with a sip of stale water from the nightstand glass. She didn't look at him as she swallowed.
“It’s done,” she whispered.
“Good. The elevator requires a keycard to go down. Take mine from the desk. Leave it with the lobby concierge.” He turned back to the window, dismissing her entirely.
Bella walked out into the biting Chicago morning. The wind coming off Lake Michigan felt like ice against her cheeks. She barely made it three blocks before her stomach revolted. The combination of stress, lack of sleep, and the harsh reality of what she had just done twisted her insides. She ducked into a cold alleyway, falling to her knees behind a dumpster, and violently threw up everything in her stomach—including the small white pill.
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She wiped her mouth with a trembling hand, too exhausted to realize the magnitude of what had just happened. She hailed a cab to the funeral home. She paid the director in full, holding her mother’s burial with dignity. For two months, Bella worked the night shift, completely unaware that the money she used to bury her past had just planted the seed of her future.
Until the morning she passed out in the hotel laundry room.
