EMMA

Emma couldn’t cease crying.

It was embarrassing and irritating, however it doesn’t matter what she did, tears saved rolling down her cheeks.

She was sitting in a resort room in a suburb exterior of Chicago. It was a finances room, one thing she’d been capable of e-book last-minute. After what had occurred, she knew she couldn’t return to the residence she’d rented. She’d stopped there lengthy sufficient to pack her meager issues, working rapidly within the first gentle of daybreak, then had taken public transit out of town. As soon as she arrived, she went via her ordinary guidelines of post-job duties. She’d canceled her telephone quantity, despatched her resignation letter, and ended her lease. Normally she felt a sure form of freedom when she ended a job and erased all of the proof of her presence. At the moment, although, she solely felt heavy-hearted. And teary.

The Aurora sat on the resort’s desk chair, leaning towards the desk. Each time Emma noticed it, her tears started once more. It was a reminder of the horrible factor she had executed. She’d given in to her emotions and spent the night time with Patrick. Then she’d stolen his beloved portray and disappeared. It was a whole betrayal.

As Emma was ending cleansing up her presence, her work e-mail dinged with a notification. She’d forgotten that she’d put in it on her telephone. There was a message from Patrick. Her palms shaking, Emma clicked on it.

Emma,

I’m so sorry if my actions final night time have made you uncomfortable. Please speak to me. We will work this out.

Patrick

Tears poured down Emma’s cheeks as soon as once more. She wished nothing greater than to answer to the e-mail — or higher but, to dial Patrick’s quantity and speak to him, as he’d requested. There was nothing she wished greater than to listen to his voice. Even when it was only one final time.

However Emma couldn’t attain out. She wanted to complete the job she’d been blackmailed into doing. In any other case, none of this may be value it. She wasn’t positive it was value it, anyway.

Her face moist with tears, she tapped on her e-mail account and uninstalled it from her telephone. There was no use taking a look at Patrick’s e-mail for even a second longer. It could solely harm her.

Lastly, she gathered her braveness to name Aleksander. She wanted to arrange a gathering with him to trade the portray and get his assurance that he wouldn’t flip her over to the police. Then, this nightmarish chapter of her life would lastly be over. Emma couldn’t think about taking one other company espionage job, however she might begin over in some new method.

The considered beginning over, someplace removed from Patrick, was heartbreaking, however there was no different choice. At the very least she wouldn’t be in jail.

Emma dug via her bag for the burner telephone Aleksander had given her and pressed dial on the one telephone quantity programmed into it. The telephone rang as soon as, twice, after which Aleksander picked up.

“If it isn’t my favourite felony.” He sounded cheerful.

Emma was in no temper for Aleksander’s video games. Not as we speak.

“I’ve the portray.”

“Oh, how great. Properly executed. How did you handle to get it out? No, don’t inform me. I benefit from the thriller.” Aleksander chuckled, however Emma stayed silent, fury effervescent inside her. This was all one large recreation to him. He was enjoying along with her life and Patrick’s, and he didn’t even care.

“So, our deal is completed?” She saved her query terse and concise. She wasn’t going to let Aleksander play along with her anymore. “You gained’t flip me in to the police?”

“After all not. Why would I?” He chuckled once more, and Emma wished to throw the telephone towards the wall. At the very least she’d lastly stopped crying.

“When would you like it?”

“The portray?”

Emma made a fist. “Sure, the portray. When would you like it?”

“Oh, I believe there’s been a little bit of a misunderstanding. Sorry about that.” Aleksander didn’t sound sorry in any respect. He was clearly having fun with this. “You see, that’s a stolen portray. It’s solely a matter of time earlier than our expensive Patrick studies it lacking. What am I alleged to do with a stolen piece of artwork?”

“That’s your drawback,” Emma half-hissed.

“No, no. I believe it’s your drawback. See, I can’t show that portray. I can’t preserve it anyplace that somebody might discover it. No, having the portray is an excessive amount of of a legal responsibility. I’ll allow you to preserve it.”

“What?” Emma wasn’t positive she was listening to him accurately. This was all an excessive amount of. After every little thing she’d executed, every little thing he’d made her do, he wasn’t even going to take Aurora?

“Take into account it a bit of token of my gratitude for you for doing this challenge for me.”

“What am I alleged to do with it? I assumed you wished it. What was the purpose of all this for those who weren’t planning to take it in the long run?”

Supply: www.seynovel.com