Chapter 18 Secrets In The Shadows

• The office was deathly silent. Mariana sat across from Diego in the dimly lit space, the only sound between them the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled beneath his chin, studying her like a puzzle he was trying to solve.
• She met his gaze head-on, refusing to flinch.
• “People lie, Mariana,” he said, his voice measured but edged with steel. “Some of them look you right in the eyes while they do it.”