She looked at my face, scanning for anger, but I gave her only hollow exhaustion.

“You look tired,” she said, her tone a mix of guilt and defensive caution.

“I haven’t slept,” I said. “I don’t think I’ve slept in three days.”

The waiter appeared beside us, his pad ready, his presence a sudden intrusion.

“Just hot tea for me, please,” I said without looking up. “English breakfast.”

“I’ll have a green tea,” Chloe told him, her eyes never leaving my face.

The waiter bowed his head and slid away into the midday bustle of the restaurant.

Between us lay the polished wood of the table, and right next to Chloe’s hand, her iPhone.

It was a gold model, the screen dark but ready to leap to life at any second.

My purse sat on my lap beneath the table, the heavy zipper half-open.

Inside it was the small, black rectangular device I had purchased the night before.

It was an active data-cloner, designed to bypass local security protocols once a direct physical link was established.

I needed her phone connected to my modified power bank for at least four minutes.