CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY EIGHT – TRAPPING THE PREDATOR

In the following weeks, the gambit played out exactly as intended. Through careful orchestration, Veronica received whispers of Kayla being hired to plan a major conference for a high-profile business consortium - the exact kind of elite, reputationally-critical event she would perceive as a direct threat to her twisted delusions. In the shadows, Kayla and the police prepared the trap's jaws to snap shut. The convention venue's security was comprehensively overhauled, with carefully concealed personnel integrated throughout every corridor and staging area. "No way she'll be able to make an entrance without us monitoring her every move," Ramirez assured them both. "We've got this place locked down tighter than a federal supermax." "Good," Kayla said, her jaw set in grim determination. "Because I have zero intention of allowing that deranged sociopath to disrupt things any further once she arrives." Lance placed a supportive hand on the small of her back. "And you won't have to. Ju