Act as instructed
The restaurant wasn’t one of those glittering, high- profile places that screamed wealth and power. Instead, it was tucked away at the corner of an old street, half hidden by overgrown bougainvillea that spilled red blossoms across its cracked signboard. The world outside bustled with traffic and hurried footsteps, but inside, the lights were dim, the tables were sparsely occupied, and the air smelled faintly of roasted garlic and warm bread.
Tessa sat in the farthest corner, fingers drumming against her glass of water, eyes flicking toward the entrance every few seconds. She had chosen this table deliberately, the shadows offered cover, the angle offered sight of both doorways, and the hum of quiet conversations around her blurred the edge of her nerves.
Her phone la
