C-5

Years may have passed, but Gabrielleno, Ruth Lee nowhadn't lost that captivating appeal. In fact, she looked much more strikingly beautiful than ever, and in this disheveled state, a raw quality was added to it. Frank Xia backed up a step, catching the slight jerk of her nose. Ah, some habits died hard. Irritation flashed across her face, but she never lost her poise, even in moments of turmoil.

Where's Peter?" Frank's voice cut through the heavy silence. His words hung sharp and deliberate in the air. He had expected Peter Lee--Ruth's father--to be the one barging through his doors, not her. Yet here she was, standing alone, vulnerable. That could only mean one thing.

"I woke up, and they were gone." Flat words, yet the shake in her voice betrayed how hard she was striving for composure. Her eyes seemed to focus somewhere else; her tone, bleak.