Chapter 26

• Lana
• A breath pushes out through my thin lips, shaky but controlled. My head dips in a slow nod. My eyes move on their own, drifting back to the man in front of me. He really is beautiful in a quiet, dangerous way. I wouldn’t have guessed it. Not like this.
• “And in return for that,” I say carefully, “and the payment from my father, I’m free to leave at the end of the month?” The question hangs between us. It sounds unreal. Deals are never this clean. Not for people like me.