Chapter 16

She was standing at the front of the classroom next to her desk. She collected a tissue from a box on the low bookcase by the window and carefully wiped her lipstick from her lips. It wouldn't do to leave evidence behind.

Since that morning months before, when she'd received a message with a special attachment, she'd been hunting this particular young man. She'd carefully studied him, reviewing his mannerisms and movements. She listened to his speech patterns when he chose to speak and monitored his social patterns. The more she knew about him, the more impatient she became to spring her trap to capture him. She wanted him, and he would be hers.

Ilsa was extremely aware of the dangers inherent in the game she was playing. To make a mistake was to lose everything she'd built for herself.

Math was her first love, and teaching it was her second. She knew math would never fail her, but her ability to continue teaching it depended very much upon her doing this perfectly