Rosie collapsed during dessert.

We were in the private dining room. Just the three of us. Kylian at the head of the table. Rosie to his right in a dress I'd worn to our anniversary dinner three years ago. Me across from her in clothes from a discount store.

I'd been asking questions. Small ones. Careful.

"Gerardo seems to be doing well," I'd said. "For someone with a terminal diagnosis."

Kylian's fork had paused halfway to his mouth.

"The photos from the Hamptons last week," I continued. "He looked very healthy."

Rosie's hand tightened on her wine glass.

"Appearances can be deceiving," Kylian said. His voice was flat.

"Of course." I cut into my chicken. "I just meant it's good to see him enjoying time with family. Before—"

"He's dying, Journey." Rosie's voice cracked. "Can we please not talk about this?"

I looked at her. Her eyes were wet. Her lip trembled.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't mean to upset you."

She reached for her water. Her hand shook. The glass tipped. Water spilled across the white tablecloth.

Kylian stood. "Rosie—"

She gasped. Clutched her chest. Her face went pale.

"I can't—" She couldn't finish. Her breathing turned shallow. Fast.

Kylian was around the table in two steps. "Call 911."

I pulled out my phone. Watched her over the screen.

Her left hand gripped the table. White knuckles. Shaking. But her right hand—the one pressed to her chest—her fingers were relaxed. No tension. No real pain response.

Her breathing was rapid but steady. Same rhythm. No gasping. No variation.

Her pupils were normal size. No dilation. No physiological stress markers.

"Journey!" Kylian's voice was sharp. "Call them!"

I dialed. Put the phone to my ear.

Rosie slumped forward. Kylian caught her. Lowered her to the floor. "Stay with me. Just breathe."

She moaned. Turned her face into his shoulder.

I gave the address to the operator. Answered their questions. Watched Rosie's performance continue.

The paramedics arrived in eight minutes. They checked her vitals. Asked about her medical history. Loaded her onto a stretcher.

Kylian rode with her in the ambulance.

I stood in the dining room alone. Looked at the spilled water. The overturned chair. The napkin on the floor.

I walked to where she'd been sitting. Crouched down. Ran my finger along the underside of the table.

Nothing.

I checked the chair. The floor. The napkin.

Still nothing.

I stood. Stared at the empty room.

She was good. I'd give her that.

---

The hospital released her three hours later. Anxiety attack. They gave her a sedative and sent her home.

Kylian brought her back to the penthouse at two in the morning. I heard them come in. Heard him help her to the master suite. Heard the door close.

I sat on my twin bed in the storage room. Opened the encrypted phone. Typed a message to Caspian.

*She's escalating. Timeline moves up.*

His reply came in seconds.

*Marsh's records are ready. Wire transfers confirmed. Fabricated files copied. You have everything.*

I stared at the screen. Everything.

Two years of my life. My father's justice. My career. My name.

All of it came down to files on a server and a corrupt doctor's signature.

I set the phone down. Lay back on the bed. Stared at the ceiling.

Somewhere in this building, Rosie was sleeping in my bed. Wearing my life like a costume.

I closed my eyes.

Not for much longer.

---

I found the snake three days later.

I'd been at the warehouse with Caspian. Going over the final details. Confirming the press conference logistics. When I got back to the penthouse, it was past midnight.

I opened the door to my room. Reached for the light switch.

Something moved on the bed.

I froze.

The shape coiled tighter. A rattle sound. Soft. Deliberate.

Timber rattlesnake. Maybe three feet long. Tan and brown pattern. Sitting right where my pillow should be.

I didn't move. Didn't breathe.

The snake's head turned toward me. Tongue flicked out. Tasting the air.

I took one step back. Slow. Kept my eyes on it.

It didn't strike. Just watched me. Rattled again.

I grabbed a pillowcase from the closet. Held it open. Moved toward the bed.

The snake coiled tighter. Its rattle got louder.

I'd done this before. Years ago. Training exercise at Quantico. Venomous snake handling. I'd been the only one in my class who didn't flinch.

I moved fast. Scooped the snake into the pillowcase. Twisted the top. Held it away from my body.

It thrashed inside. The fabric bulged and jerked.

I walked out of the room. Down the hall. Past the master suite where Kylian and Rosie were sleeping. Into the elevator. Down to the garage.

I drove twenty minutes to a wildlife relocation point outside the city. Opened the pillowcase. Let the snake slide out onto the grass.

It disappeared into the brush without looking back.

I drove home. Parked. Went back upstairs.

The storage room looked the same. Bed. Desk. Boxes of my parents' things.

I sat down. Pulled out the encrypted phone. Opened my case file.

Added a new entry: *Escalation—venomous snake. Rosie Snyder. Untraceable. Timeline accelerated.*

I checked the calendar. Five days until the anniversary.

Five days until the Plaza.

Five days until everything burned.

I set the phone down. Looked at my father's photo propped against the wall.

"Almost there, Dad," I whispered.

Then I turned off the light and lay down on the bed where a snake had been coiled an hour ago.

I didn't feel afraid.

I felt nothing at all.