"The wine is excellent."
Victor raised his glass. The others followed. Celeste lifted hers too, but something felt wrong. The dinner had gone too smoothly. Too easy.
They sat in a private room at The Griffin. Neutral territory. White tablecloths. Candles flickering. Eight people around the table. The same group from the warehouse meeting three days ago.
Except Sarah was missing. Dead.
"To new beginnings," Thomas said. He drank deeply.
Celeste brought the glass to her lips. The smell hit her first. Sweet. Too sweet. Like flowers and something else. Something chemical.
She set the glass down.
"Not drinking?" Elena asked. She sat across from Celeste. Her own glass untouched.
"I'm not thirsty."
"Suit yourself." Victor drained his glass. "Now, about Rylan. What's the plan?"
Celeste gl
