The door closes.
Tony's gone, and I knew Elliot was safe.
Now I'm alone with Diane Reece, with her gun pressed to my temple and my hands bound in front of me with zip ties she produced from somewhere.
"There," Diane said, sounding satisfied. "Now we can have a proper conversation."
"About what? On how you're going to kill me?"
"Eventually. But first, I want you to understand." She walks me backward until I'm against the wall, her gun never wavering. "Charles taught me patience. He taught me preparation and the value of making your enemy truly suffer before the end."
"Charles taught you to be a monster."
"Charles taught me to survive." Her voice hardens. "You think you're the only one he manipulated? The only one he used?"
Despite the terror of what she's saying, I'm listening, analyzing, and looking for weakness.
"He found me when I was seventeen," Diane continues. "I was a foster kid. Brilliant but broken. He offered mentorship, gave me purpose and a future."
