Chapter 434: Wednesday. Hotel, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

EKKO'S FACE HURT FROM smiling and she was fairly certain she could taste the journalist's cologne. She was so ready to be done with this and back home. Being on camera and talking to her regular viewers was nothing like this circus. But if she wanted to stay alive, the best thing for her to do was make sure the cameras were rolling.

She was playing with her life being this close to Dauria.

Dauria was a messed up hell hole hiding behind a curtain of national pride. She was eternally grateful her parents had made it out and that they'd enjoyed freedoms the people of Dauria didn't dare dream about.

"And that's a wrap." The journalist on Ekko's left turned toward her.

His gaze dipped to her chest. Normally she only wore tops that came up to her collarbone for this reason. She ground her teeth together, hating the need to put up with this.

Now, where was that bodyguard of hers? Was it too much to ask that the man stop watching her for thirty seconds?

The journalist leaned toward her,