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I wiped awayMy doorbell rang and I jumped Then I realized it was A ht at h the peephole and opened up for him

He arranged s neatly on the kitchen table

Then he turned to me “You don’t look any better”

“I’ll never be better,” I said More tears fell

“Ari Vale Hilliard isn’t dead He’ll recover in a private facility He won’t coain”

“Dane has seen to that?” I asked a bit acridly I didn’t understand how all of this worked

“It’s co the charge given to him”

Really, ere all of these people that they had such control over these background Machiavellian machinations? It was too surreal

“So it’s over?”

With a nod, he said, “I think so Dane’s with Ethan right now They’ll figure it all out But, Ari, he’s—”

“Don’t,” I softly pleaded “I can’t talk about hi about hiony ripped through me, “is for you to take my laptop back to 10,000 Lux and tell Dane I quit He’ll have to find someone else to fill the Events Director position”

Froleaned over thethe gaed a hand down his face and said, “Ari, he’ll never accept that”

“He has no choice”

“You don’t understand what you’re saying … suggesting … doing” He shook his head in dismay

“I can’t be with him, around him Not after what happened What I saw” My eyes closed I envisioned Dane whaling on Vale My lids snapped open “There was no stopping him I had to tackle him, Amano He could have killed that man I can’t be a part of that Not now Not ever”