Chapter 22
The city felt sharper than she remembered. Every sound seemed too loud, the hiss of buses braking, the rush of traffic, the chatter of pedestrians moving past in steady streams. Her palms were damp despite the cool spring drizzle, and she rubbed them against her coat as she walked.
Lotus strolled easily beside her, hands in the pockets of her plaid trousers, her stride loose, relaxed. Clara envied her calm.
“Should I tell her?” Clara asked, her voice low, as though the whole street might hear. “Warn Lena about Oliver? Or…”
Lotus tipped her head, eyes flicking up slightly. It took Clara a moment to realise she was listening to something no one else could hear.
An earpiece. She wasn’t just here with Clara. She was with all of them.
“You need to tell her two things,” Lotus said, her tone even. “That Oliver is dangerous, and that you’re ending things. If he comes near her again, she needs to get away. Fast.”
Clara’s throat tightened. “That’s it?”
“That’s enough.” Lotus’s eyes softened for a beat. “Sometimes fewer words land harder, and too much information will be dangerous.”
Clara nodded, swallowing past the lump in her throat.
And then she saw her.
Lena was waiting at the small coffee stand on the corner, her bright scarf a splash of colour against the grey street. The sight of her hit Clara like sunlight breaking through clouds.
“Clara!”
Her friend’s smile was wide, genuine, and when Lena wrapped her arms around her, Clara clung tight, a rush of relief flooding through her. Safety. Comfort. A reminder of who she was outside all this madness.
When they pulled apart, Clara forced her voice steady. “Lena, this is my friend, Anna. She’s new at the museum. I’m showing her around since she doesn’t know anyone yet.”
Lotus smiled, easy and warm, slipping seamlessly into the role. “Hi. Thanks for letting me tag along.”
Lena grinned back. “The more the merrier. Come on, let’s get caffeine before I keel over.”
The last thing she wanted was more caffeine, but three of them ordered coffees, anyway, the steam rising into the damp air, and found a small table just inside the awning. For a few minutes, it almost felt normal, sipping lattes, the city buzzing around them.
But Lena’s eyes sharpened as she leaned in, her voice dropping. “Okay, what the hell is going on? And don’t give me some curated bullshit. You’re pale, jittery, and you’ve been impossible to reach for days.”
Clara froze, her fingers tightening around the paper cup.
Lotus let out a quiet laugh, shaking her head. “I like her.”
Lena grinned at Lotus. “Aww, you too, cutie, but I have a girlfriend.”
Clara’s stomach twisted, despite the snorted laugh from Lotus.
She glanced past Lena’s shoulder, relief loosening her chest when she caught sight of Valentina, casually tossing a ball for Scout.
The dog bounded after it, tail wagging, an ordinary scene masking the watchful readiness she now recognised in all of them.
The team was close. She wasn’t alone.
But Lena’s eyes were still on her, fierce and unrelenting.
And Clara realised this was the moment, the thin line between keeping her friend safe and dragging her deeper into danger.
Clara’s throat felt dry as dust. She wrapped both hands around the coffee cup, letting the heat bleed into her palms, anchoring herself.
“Lena…” Her voice came out thin. She cleared her throat, tried again.
“I need to tell you something. And I need you to take it seriously.”
Lena arched an eyebrow. “Now you’re scaring me.”
Clara forced the words past her lips. “Oliver isn’t who you think he is. He’s… dangerous.”
The silence between them sharpened, brittle as glass.
Lena blinked. “Dangerous how? Dangerous like his driving, or dangerous like…”
“Dangerous,” Clara said firmly, cutting her off. “I’m ending things with him. And I need you to stay away. If he comes near you, if he even tries, you get away. Promise me.”
Lena stared at her for a long moment, then set her cup down with deliberate care. “Clara.” Her voice was low, steady, but fierce. “I don’t know what the hell is going on with you, but if you think you’re going to drop something like that and not explain, hold the bullshit.”
Clara winced.
Lotus smirked, sipping her latte. “Told you I liked her.”
Clara shot her a look, nerves jangling, but Lena’s focus didn’t waver. “I can’t tell you everything,” Clara said quickly, the words tumbling out, “but I can tell you this. Oliver isn’t safe to be around. Please, just trust me.”
Lena’s jaw worked. She leaned back, folding her arms. “Trust you? Clara, I’ve known you since we were fourteen. I’ve trusted you with every stupid heartbreak, every secret, every family disaster. You think I wouldn’t trust you now? Of course I do. But damn it, what have you gotten yourself into?”
Emotion clawed at Clara’s chest. Relief. Fear. Guilt. All of it tangled together. “I’m trying to keep you out of it,” she whispered.
Lena reached across the table, catching her hand, squeezing hard. “Too late. You told me. Which means I’m in it whether you like it or not. That’s how this works, Clara.”
Her eyes stung, tears pricking the corners. She gripped Lena’s hand back, tighter than she meant to.
Across from them, Lotus tilted her head slightly, as though listening again, then said softly, “She’s good. Strong. But we need to move soon.”
Clara nodded, swallowing hard.
Her gaze drifted past Lena’s shoulder again, to Valentina and Scout. The sight grounded her, the dog leaping for the ball, Valentina’s easy stance, and she held onto it like a lifeline.
Because the truth was, no matter how ordinary this coffee stand looked, the air buzzed with danger.
And she’d just pulled her best friend into the storm.
Lena’s grip was still warm around her fingers when the atmosphere shifted.
It was subtle at first, a scrape of wood against stone, the faint shift of air as someone pulled a chair up close. Then came the scent, slicing through the roasted coffee and steamed milk. Sharp, expensive, and suffocatingly familiar.
Her stomach dropped.
She didn’t need to look. She already knew.
Oliver slid into the chair beside her as if he’d been expected. His suit was immaculate, his smile smooth as polished glass, his presence filling the small space until it seemed the whole café revolved around him.
“Clara, darling,” he said warmly, as though they were lovers who had said goodbye this morning and were now meeting by chance. “And Lena. What a delightful coincidence.”
Her body locked, her breath caught high in her chest.
Lena blinked, frowning. “Oliver? What are you…”
“Shh.” He lifted a finger to his lips, playful, indulgent. At the same time, his other hand moved under the table, precise, unhurried.
Something cold pressed into Clara’s ribs. Metallic. Unmistakable, making her flinch in her chair.
Her throat closed. Her hands crushed her paper cup, coffee spilling hot over her skin, and still, she couldn’t move. Paralysed with fear, her gaze jumped to Lotus, who just watched Oliver with a calmness that made her feel infinitesimally better.
Lotus’ smile remained faint, her eyes lazy and amused. Only the faintest shift of her shoulders told Clara she’d clocked every detail.
“Well, well,” Oliver murmured, tilting his head at Lotus. “Lotus herself. I’d wondered when they’d send one of you to babysit.” His eyes glinted with mockery. “Tell me, did Watchdog draw the short straw this time or is he still hiding in some van full of screens?”
Clara’s stomach flipped. Watchdog. Oliver knew.
Oliver’s smile widened at her reaction, as though reading her thoughts.
“Don’t look so shocked, darling. You didn’t think I was blind to who’s been hovering around you, did you?
Bás. Duchess. Titan. All your little shadows.
” His teeth flashed in a smile that never reached his eyes.
“Family. Isn’t that what they call themselves? ”
Lotus’s expression didn’t flicker. She leaned back in her chair, arms loose, as though they were discussing theatre tickets. “Careful, Oliver. Knowing names isn’t the same as holding cards.”
The gun pressed harder into Clara’s side. Her pulse thundered. She couldn’t look at Lena, couldn’t breathe.
Oliver leaned close, his lips nearly brushing her ear, his voice soft, silky, deadly.
“You should know better,” he whispered, “than to try and leave me, darling. We had a deal after all. I keep your parents safe, and you become my blushing bride. I guess if you break the deal, then I no longer need to keep your parents safe.”
He placed so much emphasis on the word safe it was impossible not to understand his implication. She married him, or her parents died.