At least Lulu was alive. They would need her healthy and smiling for their propaganda. She was out there, although Nola might never see her again. “I’ll ask Kong Ruiji to tell me this to my face. I’ll call him—”

“It’s my hunch that he won’t take your phone call right now,” Daniel said. “But I also heard that he’s willing to reward you for your cooperation.”

“Reward me? But not by giving me Lulu back? How?”

He shook his head. “Some offer will come directly from Kong Ruiji’s office.”

She sucked in her breath. In her mind’s eye she bent and kissed Lulu’s little head. The tuft of dark hair was soft as silk. From now on, she might speak to every influential TV host, or use every stage to sing about the injustice of Lulu’s fate, but she had lost the battle. She had failed her as she had Jenna. Tears filled her eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” Daniel said. “I’ll follow the news and keep you posted.”

Nausea churned Nola's stomach. The truth dawned on her. Neither government had understood the depth of her bond with Lulu. They hadn’t expected her to put up a fight. A fawn lost in the woods of political intrigue, last night she had gone along with the ambassador’s delaying tactics.

“The Chinese and Ashford are right about one thing,” she said. “I do have a price. Lulu. But what they’re wrong about is that they can silence me.” She walked to the door. “Please tell Ashford that if he wants to shut me up, he’ll have to kill me.”

Just as she turned to the corridor, she thought she glimpsed Daniel nod in appreciation.

Before going downstairs for her rehearsal, she picked up the snuff bottle again. Had Daniel seen the caged bird? Her brain quivered at the enormity of staring down the wills of the world’s two superpowers.

Wade’s quick steps brought her back. “What did Daniel have to say?” he asked.

“Whatever. But I invited two governments to kill me.” She could smell the oxygen-sucking odor of defeat. “Do you know of an offer the Chinese want to make me?”

“Actually, I do,” he replied. “Some movie deal.”

“After all your talk about a script for me, the one that pops up is from the Chinese government?” She raised her fist in mock triumph. “A new central casting: Ashford and Kong Ruiji.”

“We’ll talk about it when you’re in a better mood.”

“Stop treating me like I’m a blabbering fool.” She sat on an ottoman to put on her dance shoes. “Shoot.”

The pull of distaste at his bottom lip told her how difficult he found her to be.