"Bury her," Tina says, leaning over the desk and focusing her eyes on me. "She’s already on the ropes; all you need to do is give her a final push. If you bring Vivian down, there’s still a way out of this." She pauses, unblinking, and then adds a sadistic "it’s kill or be killed."

Settling back on my chair at the head of the desk, I look at my Chief of Staff, Curtis. He’s sitting next to Michele, my Press Secretary. He was the one who scheduled this meeting, anxious to stop this situation from reaching the point of no return. Going down the road of sitting down with Tina Ling—who I don’t trust and know is lying. But he seems to think there’s no other recourse. So he summoned her as well. The most important members of my cabinet drove up to the NY State Executive Mansion, and now here we are, huddled in a room as we decide on the fate of Vivian Hawthorne.

I want to solve this as much as Curtis does, but I’m not sure I like what I see in Tina’s eyes: blood lust. We have become like the Spanish Inquisition, deciding who we are going to set fire to. There are no acquittals or assumptions of innocence; someone will have to burn, that much is a given... And my job is to make sure it isn’t the Governor’s office going up in flames.

"It might not be pretty, but…" Curt starts, fidgeting with his thumbs. He has that look in his face, the same one people have when they’re trying to figure out if they should turn left or right at the intersection. On one hand, he’s my Chief of Staff, but on the other… He just can’t hide how much he agrees with Tina. "Mrs. Ling is right. This is our way out. This is our opening… And we should take it."

I look from one to the other and then around the table, anxiety in everyone’s eyes; they’re ready to pile up the wood, grab the pitchforks and light the torches. All they is need my nod and Vivian’s body strapped to a pole. When did the Governor’s cabinet turn into a lynch mob?

All in all, there are thirteen of us around the table—an oddly fitting number for such a somber meeting. Everyone’s waiting for me to say the word. They have no idea what they’re asking of me. And if they do, they just don’t care. After all, their careers are on the line as well… At least, that’s one of the points Tina has been hammering on since this meeting started. She’s trying to rouse my cabinet and undermine my authority, and she isn’t even hiding it.

"Is that what everyone thinks we should do? Go after the Senator?" I ask, my throat feeling as dry as summer wood. There’s a nervous silence in the room, and then Curtis clears his throat.

"It’s the only way," he starts, flat certainty in his voice. "We take her out, lay the blame at her feet. Once she’s out of the Senate, we might just be able to place someone more… amiable in her position." I stare at him in silence, trying to clear my mind and think through what he’s saying. This is my job after all—to make tough calls. I’ve made countless decisions since I assumed the title of Governor, a lot of them hard ones, but this one towers above all others. For the first time in years, I have no idea on what I should do. Throwing Vivian under the bus would be the easy way out, but I’m not sure if I’m the kind of man capable of doing such a thing.

"You’re the Governor, Carter, and these people are not your friends," Tina starts, and I can see almost everyone around the table nodding in silent agreement. "This is politics, you’d do well to remember that."

"She’s right," Curtis agrees, although somewhat hesitantly. He always hated this part of the job, getting me to agree on something he knows I don’t want to do. He sounds sour and hesitant, but still he pushes through. "There’s a lot at stake here. We can’t let personal feelings get in the way."

What he’s really trying to say is that I can’t think clearly. That I've allowed my feelings to stop me from seeing what should be done. And, as much as it pains me to admit it, he’s right. Because what they’re asking me to do isn’t a simple political call. They’re asking me to throw the woman I love under the bus. The woman I love, I repeat the thought to myself, letting it echo inside my head. The woman I love.

"Carter," Tina says, taking my silence for weakness. Her hunger for blood is so overpowering that she doesn’t mind who she buries her fangs in. "Do it. Everyone knows this is the right call,” she continues. Do it, bury her, go for the kill; her eyes tell me. Beautiful as she might be, right now she looks like a wolf, laying low with a snarl and baring its teeth as it sneaks toward its prey. She knows my own cabinet is taking her side, and she’s positioning herself as their unofficial speaker, trying to press me to the give the order.

I never liked being pushed around.

"No," I say, going up to my feet and staring at her. Whatever happens, whatever the consequences, I won’t go after Vivian, even if it costs me my career. How could I do it when all these memories still linger in my mind? When I can’t forget the way her skin feels under my fingertips, or the way our eyes lock when our bodies are pressed together… How could I go after the woman I love? No, I won’t do that.

Tina leans back against her chair, her lips pursing as a scowl takes over her face. Her eyes have gained a hard edge, and I can’t help but think of her as lacking a soul, her slender body and delicate smile nothing more than transportation and cover for a sociopathic demon. My Chief of Staff looks from me to her, but he remains in silence; no words are being said, but he’s smart enough to know that a battle of wills is going on between me and this mysterious woman—Communist Party member, China First Bank representative, even Mayor of Shanghai. Even though he might think she’s right, Curtis is loyal to a fault and won’t take part in a cabinet revolution.

"You have no idea what you’re doing, Carter," she hisses, going up to her feet. There’s more than just anger in her voice; there’s hatred. "Look around you; even your own cabinet knows that you’re a shame to the Governor’s office. And all because of that woman!"

For the first time in days, I feel peaceful. Hesitation has finally given way to clarity. Tina Ling—who does she think she is? And why is she even sitting here? She doesn’t care about New York, but I do, and in their own way, so does Liam and Vivian. We might not agree on everything, but our purpose is the same. And here I am, listening to Tina as she tries to pit the people who care about this state against one another.

"Tina, don’t take this the wrong way…" I say, a polite smile on my lips as I stare her down. "But you can go to Hell. I’m the New York’s Governor, and you’re no longer welcome here." I’m not even mad right now. I feel at ease, my course of action suddenly becoming self-evident. I can’t believe I’ve let a foreign politician string me along for so much, but there’s still time to fix my mistakes. There’s a way out of this.

"I know you came once and I told you to go," I say to her. "And I know Curtis invited you again and I heard you out completely. I can safely say now that I truly want nothing to do with you. Ever."

There’s silence.

"You’re going to regret this," she seethes, pushing her chair back. Her body is tense, her petite frame charged with the fury of someone who just had her prize snatched away at the last minute. With one final look of contempt, she turns on her heels and storms out of the office, slamming the door on her way out. Curtis’ eyes follow after her, an oh-shit expression plastered all over his face. No one in the room says a word, but I feel their eyes boring on me like nails.

"Thank you for letting me know where you stand," I start, slowly addressing each one of the members of my cabinet. "Let me assure you; there’s a way out of this, and it won’t require for us to sell our souls in order to save our careers. Your trust in me is, and has always been, well placed. Now, if you’ll excuse me," I head for the door, buttoning my jacket on the way out, "I have work to do."

Heading straight for the courtyard, I feel my resolve hardening with each step I take. My driver is smoking a cigarette, leaning against the car with a wistful look on his face, but he puts it out the moment he lays eyes on me, straightening up almost as if he were a soldier who just saw his commanding officer.

"Get the engine running. We’re moving," I tell him as I step inside the car. I’m going to solve this—whatever it takes. I tell my driver the directions, and it doesn’t take long for the car to be rolling down the highway.