If I didn’t cancel it by midnight tomorrow, the decryption keys would go straight to Vincent’s personal server.

I pulled the dark evening gown from the closet.

The silk was cold against my skin as I pulled it on.

I zipped it up with shaking fingers.

I found a pair of black flats in the back of the closet; heels would make too much noise on the marble floors.

The estate was quiet, but the security cameras were always active.

I knew the blind spots because I had spent weeks watching the monitors in Vincent’s study.

There was a three-minute gap in the southern courtyard patrol during the shift change at midnight.

I checked my watch: eleven fifty-seven.

I slipped out of my room and glided down the back staircase.

The air in the lower corridor was drafty and smelled of floor wax.

I reached the side door that led to the greenhouse.

My fingers trembled as I turned the brass lock.

It clicked, sounding incredibly loud in the empty hall.

I waited, holding my breath, but no alarms sounded.

I slipped outside into the cool night air.