They had spent the whole summer acting careful. My mother clipped coupons in front of me and sighed over grocery prices. My father shook his head when I suggested one quiet weekend away together, like I had asked him to buy a second house instead of share a motel room and a diner breakfast. “This summer we’re staying in,” Mom told me. “It’s just too much.” I believed her because believing them had become a reflex, even after years of little disappointments. They knew I kept one reserve account for emergencies, and they knew my health was the reason I guarded it like oxygen. At 3:08 in the morning, my phone buzzed hard enough to wake me. The notification said $9,860 had been withdrawn from my reserve fund. I sat up so fast the room tilted, opened the banking app, and watched my own life turn into someone else’s vacation. There were first-class flights to Mykonos. There was a luxury suite, a private driver, designer shops, spa treatments, and restaurant holds that cost more than my rent. Every charge use

“Why did the sender warn you about me?”

“I was hoping you could tell me.”

“I can’t.”

“Is there any reason I shouldn’t trust you?”

Diana looked at the closed door.

“Yes.”

Audrey’s chest tightened.

“What reason?”

“Because Owen’s video said the operation was compromised, and I am part of the operation.”

“That doesn’t mean you betrayed it.”

“No. But it means you should question me.”

Audrey had expected denial.

The honesty unsettled her more.

Diana reached slowly into her pocket.

Audrey’s fingers tightened around the phone.

Diana removed her badge and service weapon.

She placed both on the counter near the sink.

Then she stepped back.

“You were right to make me leave,” she said. “You were right to doubt me.”

Audrey looked at the weapon.

“What are you doing?”

“Giving you the room.”

“You could still call someone.”