I stare at her.
She stares back.
It’s a standoff.
One Ishouldwin.
But I’m not so sure anymore.
Because this girl? This unhinged, brilliant, impossible girl?
She’s not backing down.
And worse?
Part of medoesn’t want her to.
FOUR
THE CHAOS APPLICATION
LARK
Knight Hayes is the human embodiment of a locked cabinet.
And I absolutelylovepicking locks.
He stands in front of me now, arms folded like steel doors, jaw clenched, eyes stormy. He looks like he’d rather wrestle a bear than have a conversation with me.
Which only makes this more fun.
I drop my bag onto his kitchen table and unzip it, slow and dramatic.
Knight watches me like I’m a live grenade. “Don’t take anything out of that bag,” he warns.
I ignore him completely. A stack of manila folders lands on the table. Then a burner laptop. Then a USB drive with a tiny pink bow on it.
Knight stares.
I flash a smile. “Time to talk business.”
He blinks once. “No.”
“I haven’t said anything yet.”
“You don’t have to. Whatever you’re planning, the answer is no.”
“You’re not even curious?” I tilt my head to study him.
“Not even a little.” He crosses his arms over his chest.
“That’s a lie,” I sing.
Knight scrubs a hand down his face.
I flip open the first folder, turning it so he can see—pictures, profiles, bank trails, timestamps, and locations. Each page is labeled with a codename.
PROJECT SCORPION — CHILDREN'S REHAB FRAUD
