The front door of the Sterling estate swung open, and Nova stepped into the foyer.
A crystal vase shattered inches from her heels.
"You ruined everything!" Victoria Sterling screamed. Her face was blotchy, her chest heaving beneath a diamond necklace that cost more than Nova's entire education. "The humiliation! Walking out like that!"
Nova stepped over the shards of glass. She didn't look down.
Behind her, the heavy oak door opened again. Bryce and Chloe walked in, hand in hand, bringing the cold night air with them.
"Mom, stop," Chloe said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "She's just hurt. It's hard for her to see us happy."
Nova started up the stairs.
Victoria rushed forward, blocking the banister. "Apologize to your sister. Now."
Nova stopped. She looked at her wrist. Twenty minutes to the rendezvous point.
She looked up, her eyes finally focusing on Victoria's face. For the first time in years, the fog in Nova's expression cleared.
"She was at his apartment last night," Nova said. Her tone was flat, factual. "And the night before. And three Tuesdays ago."
Chloe's face drained of color. "You liar! You're just jealous!"
Bryce stiffened. He looked at Chloe, then back at Nova, his jaw tightening. He chose the lie. He always chose the lie. "You're pathetic, Nova."
Nova didn't argue. She sidestepped Victoria and climbed the stairs.
Inside her room-the smallest one, facing the servant's quarters-she knelt by the bed. She reached underneath and pulled out a black tactical bag. It was scuffed, utilitarian.
She didn't pack clothes. She didn't pack jewelry. She packed three hard drives, a stack of polaroids held together by a rubber band, and a change of clothes made of durable, dark fabric.
She slung the bag over one shoulder and walked back down.
Victoria was waiting at the bottom, holding a glass of scotch. "If you walk out that door, I am cutting you off. No allowance. No trust fund access. You'll be on the street."
Nova reached into her pocket. She pulled out a black credit card-the supplementary one Richard Sterling had given her for 'emergencies only'. She placed it gently on the hallway table.
"I don't owe you anything," Nova said. "From today, I am not a Sterling."
Victoria laughed. It was a harsh, barking sound. "Without us, you can't even afford a hamburger."
Nova opened the heavy front door. "I have a mission with the National Security Agency. I have to go."
The silence lasted one second before the laughter exploded.
Chloe doubled over, clutching Bryce's arm. "NSA? You? Are you going to be the janitor? Or are you writing a sci-fi novel now?"
Bryce shook his head, a look of pity in his eyes. "You've lost your mind, Nova. Truly."
Nova didn't defend herself. She didn't look back. She walked out into the cold wind.
"Asset in position. ETA?" she whispered.
"Sixty seconds," a voice crackled in her ear. "Bird is inbound."
She walked toward the expansive back lawn, the grass wet with dew soaking through her cheap heels, heading for the secluded woods at the far edge of the property.
Inside the house, Victoria was shouting at the butler. "Lock the doors! If she comes back crawling, don't let her in!"
The butler, Mr. Henderson, hesitated. He looked out the floor-to-ceiling window. The trees at the edge of the property were bending.
A low thrumming sound vibrated the glass. Then, a roar.
Wind blasted against the house, rattling the windowpanes in their frames.
