"I understand " she whispered, the words feeling like ash in her mouth.
Rafael's smile grew wider, his eyes glinting with satisfaction. "I knew I could count on you, Natalie. You're a smart girl. You know what's at stake."
Natalie nodded again, her mind racing with thoughts of her mother, her heart aching with the weight of her situation. She knew what she had to do, no matter how repugnant it felt.
"Good," Rafael said, his voice dripping with approval. "I'll have my people send you the details. You'll need to be careful, Natalie. Detective James is no fool. He'll suspect something if you're not convincing."
Natalie felt a surge of fear at the thought of being caught, of failing Rafael and putting her life in danger. But she pushed the fear aside, squaring her shoulders as she met Rafa
