Provocation in Red

Kaelen

The welcome dinner was on the twenty-fifth floor.

I had arranged it three weeks ago; the venue, the guest list, the menu, and the seating plan. The seating plan specifically. I had reviewed it twice, ensuring she was directly across from me. Across was better. Across meant I could watch her eat. Across meant I could track every breath she took.

The room was right. Floor-to-ceiling windows o