Chapter 116: Why the hate?
Mara’s shoulders sagged. The air in the apartment still felt thick with Fin’s unsettling presence, even after he agreed to her conditions – or at least, pretended to.
"Alright," she said, her voice tired. "The list. But it won’t be quick. Accessing that level of Association data, bypassing their security without raising alarms... it’ll take a few days. Minimum."
He nodded, pushing himself up from the armchair. The casual movement didn’t match the cold calculation that moments before filled his eyes. "That’s fine," he said. "I have my own plans in the meantime." He didn’t elaborate. He never did.
He walked towards the door, pausing with his hand on the knob. "Thanks, boss." Then he was gone, the door clicking shut behind him with a soft finality.
Mara stood there, staring at the closed door, the silence amplifying the thumping in her chest. The smell of spilled wine was sharp in the air. She finally let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding.
"Are you completely insane?"
Juna’s voice, sharp as broken glass, cut through the quiet. Mara spun around. Juna stood by the archway, arms crossed, her earlier amusement replaced by a furious glare.
"What the hell was that, Mara?" she pushed off the archway, stalking into the living room, her heels clicking angrily on the floorboards.
She stopped, deliberately stepping right into the edge of the wine stain. "You’re actually going to help him? That... that little monster?"