Odette's POV
Mara's hand was soft but trembling in mine as we walked across the marble floor.
I could tell from the echo of our footsteps that the place was big — too big. The kind of rich people's café where even the air felt expensive, and the silence was so heavy it made you second-guess every sound you made.
Still, I lifted my chin and whispered, "Mara, how many of them are behind us?"
She hesitated, her grip tightening. "Six, Madam."
I stopped dead in my tracks. "Six?"
My voice came out louder than I meant it to. Somewhere nearby, I heard a chair scrape, a low murmur. Whatever. Let them listen.
"Six men are walking behind me?" I repeated, turning my head slightly toward where I could feel the weight of their stares. "What do they think I'm going to do? Vanish into thin air the moment I reach the counter?"
"Madam, please," Mara whispered, tugging at my arm. "Don't—"
