30
NINE
The loss of control was unnerving.
Four hours after my awkward conversation with Alex, as I settled into a plush leather seat on Emmy’s private jet, I realised why I’d grown so comfortable in Baldwin’s Shore. Not the easy job or even the people but the fact that for the first time in my entire life, I’d been the mistress of my own destiny. Until the unfortunate incident with stepfather number four, my mama had been in charge, and then I’d relinquished my entire existence to General Zacharov.
Now, Emmy had taken over.
Or rather, Emmy’s team had because Emmy herself didn’t deal with the mundanities. As Nine, I’d had zero say in the jobs I undertook, but I’d still been tasked with arranging the logistics myself. Transport, accommodation, food… In those days, I’d felt a tiny rush
