Clara
I'd come to the relaunch as a guest, publicly listed as supporting a local business the Ashford Foundation had sponsored, a cover story that gave me legitimate reason to be there without raising questions about my actual purpose, which was simply to be present in case Sebastian needed backup.
I found Marisol near the kitchen doors, her expression tight with barely controlled panic, and she pulled me aside the moment she recognized me. "Photographers are covering both exits," she said quietly. "Front and the alley. Sebastian's trapped inside, and I don't know how much longer before someone inside the restaurant notices something's wrong and starts asking questions."
"Where's Sebastian now?"
"Kitchen pass, with Julian. They're trying to figure out an alternative."
I found them exa
