Torn (Lords of the City #1) by Alice Ward Read Free Book Online

be guarding a single herd of elephants while his money runs dry. He would build something of substance, like set up a foundation. He would sacrifice his need to rebel and commit himself to their cause, raise awareness of their plight here, at home, where there’s money and influence.”
    “You miss him,” I observed, reading between the lines. “You want your brother to return as much as I do.”
    “Don’t think you know me, Imogen. And don’t think you know my brother. How much time exactly did you spend together?”
    I lifted my chin. “Time doesn’t matter.”
    “Time is all that matters.” Like stone, he turned away from me. “You start Monday. Don’t be late.”
    ***
    After the interview ended, though it didn’t feel like much of an interview, Peter escorted me back to the lobby where a woman with a very memorable face waited for us.
    “Isn’t that the digital assistant?” I asked Peter, wondering how far the labs at Stafford Scientific had gotten in their development of holograms.
    If she was a hologram, she was incredibly lifelike. With her hair layered around her perfect mocha complexion and dazzling smile, she looked like she was one of the goddesses the stars on the ceiling were named after. Like everyone else in the company, her clothes were exquisite, exemplifying the efficiency of the company. With a leather scarf wrapped around her neck as an accessory, she wore a plum-colored dress that hugged her curves but was modest and professional.
    “Imogen,” she greeted me. “I’m Julia Wilson, Mr. Stafford’s personal assistant. You’ll be replacing me when I’m promoted in a few weeks.” She shook my hand, which was warm and very much alive. “I’m very pleased to meet you.”
    “Me too. In person. We’ve already met in the digital world.”
    She laughed. “Yes. The program was designed after me. My clone, except that it’s much bossier than I am.” She lightly touched Peter’s arm, causing him to blush. “That will be all. Thank you.”
    “Of course,” he mumbled, momentarily falling victim to the awkwardness of adolescence.
    “Let’s go,” she said to me. “We have some shopping to do.”
    “Shopping?” I asked, following behind her as she dashed towards the exit. “I don’t understand.”
    “Your outfit doesn’t fit Mr. Stafford’s dress code. It’s too… suburban. Personally, I love it. It suits you, but Mr. Stafford’s word is final.”
    I was skeptical. “How did he arrange this in the short amount of time it took to get down here? The interview only just finished.”
    “You may not realize it, but you had the job before you walked in. Mr. Stafford has been looking over your files all week. He knows more about you than you probably know about yourself.”
    “That’s a little creepy,” I uttered as we stepped outside.
    “It’s not creepy; it’s prudent. His brother rarely makes contact with him. In fact, I didn’t even know he had a brother until I received the email on behalf of Mr. Stafford. Of course he was going to investigate the woman who inspired his brother to resurface, no matter how briefly.”
    “You read the email?” I asked, intrigued.
    “It was short, but it got the point across. Corey provided Mr. Stafford with your name and hometown, and he asked that you be given a position in the company so that Mr. Stafford could watch over you. That was it. I did a quick search with the information he provided and found an obituary for your grandmother in a local newspaper that mentioned you as her only known descendent. Finding your address was easy after that.”
    I stopped, needing a moment to process everything. My life had been equivalent to a tumbleweed rolling around aimlessly. Now, I had a job, one that required me to move to Chicago, and I was about to go on a shopping spree with a woman who had a digital clone.
    Julia patted my back. “Celebrate. Change is a good thing.”
    “I hope so.” I took my wallet out of my canvas bag and