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“They really need our help, Casey,” Claire told her.
“Between what you, Marc, and Emma have each said, I don’t doubt it.” Casey glanced at her watch. “They should be here any minute, based on the ETA Gia gave Marc when she called from the road. Given the circumstances, I think Marc, not Emma, should be the one who greets them at the door. There’s an element of trust Gia already feels for Marc. Let’s use it. I’ll go out behind him, wait a minute or two, and then round the corner and introduce myself. I’m hoping that realizing the president of FI is on board will give them an added sense of security.”
As if on cue, the doorbell sounded.
“Gia Russo and her sister have arrived,” Yoda announced. “I apologize for the omission, Casey, but you didn’t provide me with Ms. Russo’s sister’s name.”
“We don’t have it yet, Yoda.” Marc was already headed for the door. “But we’re about to.”
* * *
Marc opened the door, his mouth already open to greet Gia.
It snapped shut as he looked from one of the girls to the other.
“Gia?” he guessed, his startled gaze settling on the longer-haired girl.
“Yes, Marc, it’s me.” Gia shook his hand. “And this is my sister, Danielle Murano.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Marc.” Dani also shook his hand. “Thank you for seeing us with virtually no notice.”
“Ms. Gia Russo and Ms. Danielle Murano have arrived.” Yoda’s voice echoed through the townhouse as he corrected his omission at once.
Both girls jumped.
“Not to worry,” Marc assured them. “That’s Yoda, our artificial intelligence system.” He didn’t wait for their response. “Gia, you didn’t mention that you and your sister were identical twins.”
“Monozygotic twins,” Yoda clarified. “Definition being that a single egg was fertilized to form one zygote, which then divided into two separate embryos.”
“Got it, Yoda.” Marc was cutting this off before Yoda gave them a full genetics lesson. “I can take it from here.”
“Certainly, Marc. I’ll complete preparations for the meeting.”
Gia blinked. “That’s not an AI system. That’s the Wizard of Oz. Who designed him?”
“That would be Ryan McKay, FI’s technology magician. He was at my wedding, along with the entire team.” Marc turned to Dani, silently getting a read on her. “Welcome to the Big Apple. You’re from the Midwest. I recognize the twang.”
A hint of a smile touched Dani’s lips. “Actually, I speak normally. It’s everyone here who has the twang—New Yoik-uhs to the core.” Her smile faded. “But you’re right. I’m from Minneapolis. That’s why it took me so long to fly in. I’m sure you’d rather be home with your new wife, having dinner, than meeting with us.”
“No worries. I can manage both.” From somewhere behind him, Marc sensed Casey’s presence—and yet, she was making no move to join them. He wondered what her motives were and finally decided she was giving him a little more time to help the girls relax. That wasn’t Casey’s usual style, but he’d go with it.
He continued to make comfortable introductory conversation with the girls.
* * *
Casey was reeling with stunned awareness.
She’d walked out two full minutes ago, ready to join Marc and their new clients. She’d reached the corner and was about to turn into the hallway. Instead, she’d come to a dead halt, staring at the girls Marc was speaking with.
Lina. It was Lina. Times two.
CHAPTER 18
What the hell was going on?
Casey was still gaping. Mentally, she kicked herself. There was no time to process what she was seeing. She had to alert the team before someone—probably Emma—made a huge faux pas.
Reversing her steps, she ran down to the office where everyone was waiting. She burst in and shut the door behind her, leaning back against it. Everyone’s head shot up in surprise. Even Hero snapped into ready mode.
