7
833 Words
Because everyone already knew who everyone was.
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The room itself was large, dimly lit, designed to make people feel smaller than their choices.
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And at the center—
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Etienne Leblanc
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He stood when they entered.
Not out of respect.
Out of acknowledgment.
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His gaze moved to Hayes first.
Then Liam.
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Then—
Camilla.
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And paused.
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Not long.
Not obvious.
But long enough to register.
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Interesting.
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“Boston,” Etienne said smoothly.
A faint smile touched his mouth.
“Right on time.”
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“Louisiana,” Hayes replied.
“Still standing.”
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A flicker of amusement.
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They moved to the table.
Sat.
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No small talk.
No introductions needed.
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“Shipping routes,” Etienne began, leaning back slightly.
“Your expansion north overlaps two of mine.”
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Hayes didn’t miss a beat.
“Overlap implies conflict.”
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“It implies negotiation,” Etienne corrected.
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Camilla stayed quiet.
Observing.
Listening.
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Tracking tone.
Posture.
Control.
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Liam spoke next.
“Your routes shifted nine months ago.”
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Etienne’s gaze flicked to him.
Then back.
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“Adaptation,” he said simply.
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Camilla leaned forward slightly.
Just enough to enter the conversation without interrupting it.
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“Or consolidation,” she said.
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Silence.
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Etienne’s eyes moved to her again.
Sharper this time.
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“And you are?” he asked.
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Hayes didn’t answer.
Didn’t introduce her.
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Which meant—
This was intentional.
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Camilla met Etienne’s gaze evenly.
“Someone who understands patterns,” she said.
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A slow smile formed.
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“Dangerous,” Etienne murmured.
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Before the conversation could continue—
The door opened.
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Fast.
Unannounced.
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“Heads up, you forgot—”
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The voice stopped.
Mid-sentence.
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Everyone in the room turned.
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And time—
Just for a second—
Shifted.
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Raven Duval stood in the doorway.
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Confidence still in her posture.
Words still half-formed on her lips.
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But her expression—
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Gone.
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Replaced with something else.
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Shock.
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Pure.
Unfiltered.
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“Camilla?”
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The room didn’t move.
Didn’t breathe.
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Camilla stood slowly.
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“…Raven.”
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That was all it took.
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Shock broke.
Emotion rushed in.
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“What the hell—” Raven started, then stopped herself, dragging a hand through her hair like she needed to ground herself before she exploded.
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“You—”
She pointed at Camilla.
“You just disappeared.”
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Her voice cracked.
Just slightly.
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“I’ve been calling you for a year,” she continued, stepping into the room fully now. “A year, Cami.”
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No one interrupted.
Not Hayes.
Not Liam.
Not Etienne.
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Because this wasn’t business anymore.
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This was personal.
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“You ghosted me,” Raven said, her voice rising now. “You ghosted me.”
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Camilla didn’t move.
Didn’t defend herself.
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“I’ve been like a sister to you,” Raven continued, anger bleeding into hurt. “Do you have any idea what that did?”
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A beat.
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“Dad couldn’t find you,” she added, quieter now.
“He tried.”
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That landed harder.
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Raven’s eyes burned now.
Not just with anger.
With something worse.
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Fear that had never been resolved.
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“We thought you were dead,” she said.
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Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
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Camilla swallowed once.
Her composure didn’t crack.
But it shifted.
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“I wasn’t,” she said quietly.
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Raven let out a sharp, broken laugh.
“Yeah, I can see that.”
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A pause.
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“Would’ve been nice to know.”
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Camilla’s hands tightened slightly at her sides.
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“I couldn’t—”
She stopped.
Reset.
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“I didn’t have a choice.”
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Raven shook her head immediately.
“That’s not good enough.”
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Her voice dropped.
Sharper.
More personal.
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“You always have a choice with me.”
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That—
That hit.
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Camilla’s gaze flickered.
Just for a second.
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Because that was the one thing she hadn’t been ready to face.
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Not Louisiana.
Not the past.
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Raven.
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And what leaving her had cost.
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Across the room, Hayes watched the entire exchange without interruption.
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But something in his expression had shifted.
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Because this—
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This wasn’t just history.
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This was a vulnerability he hadn’t seen before.
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And it mattered.
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More than he expected it to.
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Raven took a breath, trying to steady herself.
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“You don’t just disappear on people who love you,” she said.
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Camilla didn’t answer.
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Because for the first time since stepping back into Louisiana—
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She didn’t have a controlled response ready.
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And that?
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That was more dangerous than anything waiting outside that room.
- Writer
