36 Strategy

"How did you find out?" Eve curiously asked.

"I overheard her talking to her Mistress. I happened to be in the bathroom when she arrived, and she didn't realize I was there."

"Tell me about it," Eve said.

"Her Mistress told her to befriend you."

"Oh?"

"I didn't mean to listen in, but when I heard your name, I couldn't resist my curiosity."

"Thank you for letting me know."

Willow nodded. "I apologize for not communicating with you lately. This whole ordeal has been challenging for me, and I've been having a difficult time."

Willow took Eve's silence as a signal to keep talking.

"Trinity was the first and then came the Spawn. I never thought I'd last this long. Watching each woman disappear one by one... it's just terrifying."

"I can only imagine," Eve said.

"Now there's another evaluation. I didn't know it would be like this."