Lies and Suspicions

The insistent buzzing of her phone jolted Blair awake. She fumbled for the device, squinting at the screen through sleep-blurred vision. The name "James Harrison" flashed ominously in the darkness, a shiver of apprehension rippling down her spine.

"Blair," James's voice, sharp and demanding, cut through the pre-dawn silence. "It's been a week. I'm expecting a progress report."

Blair pressed the phone tighter against her ear, her mind racing. She'd been playing a dangerous game, stalling for time, hoping to find a way to protect Victor without exposing her own deception. But the leash James held was tightening, his patience wearing thin.

"I'm… working on it," she said, forcing a calmness into her voice that belied the frantic drumbeat of her heart. "The target… he's proving to be more elusive than anticipated."