35:No One Is Invisible
No One Is Invisible
Nathan Ashford stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of his hotel suite in Singapore, one hand tucked into his pocket as the city lights shimmered below.
His meeting had ended hours ago.
The contracts were signed.
The investors were satisfied.
Yet his mind wasn't on business.
It was on a woman.
Ophelia.
He closed his eyes, letting the memory replay itself.
The Ashford family dinner.
The elegant stranger who had smiled politely, answered every question with confidence, and somehow managed to reveal almost nothing about herself.
He remembered watching her from across the table.
Most guests who entered the Ashford mansion were distracted by its luxury.
Ophelia wasn't.
She had taken in the room.
The exits.
The people.
The conversations.
Everything.
Nathan slowly opened his eyes.
"You're not what you claim to be."
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in."
His personal assistant, Daniel, entered carrying a tablet.
"You wanted an update, sir."
Nathan turned.
"What did you find?"
Daniel hesitated.
"I searched her business records, social media, financial history... everything available."
"And?"
"There isn't much."
Nathan raised an eyebrow.
"Explain."
"According to public records, Ophelia appeared almost two years ago. Before that..." Daniel shook his head. "Nothing."
Nathan took the tablet and scrolled through the report.
Art consultant.
Independent contractor.
Excellent references.
No scandals.
No criminal record.
No family listed.
Too clean.
Much too clean.
He handed the tablet back.
"Run it again."
"We've already checked every database."
"Then check the ones people don't usually think to check."
Daniel nodded.
"Yes, sir."
As he reached the door, Nathan spoke again.
"Daniel."
"Sir?"
"Have someone keep an eye on her."
Daniel frowned slightly.
"You believe she's dangerous?"
Nathan looked back at the city.
"I believe she's hiding something."
After Daniel left, silence filled the suite once more.
Nathan picked up a glass of water but never took a sip.
His thoughts drifted back to one small detail from that dinner.
When Elena had asked Ophelia what drew her to art...
She hadn't answered immediately.
She had paused.
Not because she was nervous.
Because she had been choosing the safest version of the truth.
Nathan smiled faintly.
"People who lie for a living..."
"...always leave a crack somewhere."
Hundreds of miles away...
Ophelia sat at her desk, sorting through documents she'd collected over the past week.
A map of the city lay open before her.
Several locations were circled in red.
She reached for April's diary, carefully turning another page.
Most of it was still blank.
Then something caught her eye.
Pressed between two pages was a tiny, dried white flower.
She stared at it.
"I don't remember seeing this before."
She carefully lifted it out.
Wrapped around its fragile stem was a tiny strip of paper.
Her pulse quickened.
Written in April's handwriting were just four words.
"Don't trust the smiles."
Ophelia's grip tightened.
She whispered into the quiet apartment,
"I won't."
Outside her window, a dark sedan rolled slowly past before disappearing into the night.
Someone else...
Had begun watching her.