Detective Marcus Bennett stepped into the sleek glass lobby of Helix Data Analytics, his badge clipped inside his jacket but his mind braced for something less predictable than numbers on screens. He’d run this scenario through his head a dozen times—question her, keep it clinical, stay in control. And yet, as the receptionist led him through a corridor humming with fluorescent lights and keyboard clicks, a part of him wondered if any man truly walked into a storm and stayed dry.
Vivienne Lancaster was already standing when he entered her office. Sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, glinting off the chrome fixtures and the pale oak desk where she perched like a curated detail of the décor—perfectly placed, perfectly intentional.
“Detective Bennett.” Her smile bloomed sl
