Chapter One: After the Fall

By dawn, three scans and two ultrasounds agreed: bruising, no fractures, no internal bleeding. Her editor Cheng Wu burst into the hospital room carrying coffee. “The rescue has two hundred million views. The internet calls you the Bride on the Web. Our editor wants an exclusive tomorrow.” “Someone pushed me,” Lin said. Cheng’s smile disappeared. “The card?” The inner pocket of Lin’s coat had been sliced open. She remembered the card pressing against her ribs during the fall. She also remembered the Weaver’s armored hand touching that exact spot. On television, the rescue played in slow motion: web, hero, salvation. The timestamps were continuous. “Reverse it.”