C11 THE COUNTERMOVE

Amara woke the next morning with the taste of steel on her tongue. She had barely slept, tossing and turning in the bed she no longer recognized as hers. The night’s revelations the drawer, the unknown message, Tari’s smug intrusion, Ethan’s shifting loyalties had left a bitter aftertaste.

Today, she decided, she would reclaim control.

THE OFFICE WAR

By 8 a.m.