Krista arranged a quick meeting with Elijah Myers, an old friend and skilled hacker who had previously helped her assume the identity of Krista Marshall after she fled home at seventeen. They met at their usual neutral park in Manhattan, away from both their neighborhoods, and exchanged a brief, cordial greeting.

After correcting Elijah when he called her Whitney, Krista asked whether someone might be using her name. Elijah reassured her that the Krista Marshall identity he created was clean and secure. Krista clarified that she was worried about her old identity—Whitney Cross—being used by someone else.

Elijah considered the question and said it was possible, because Whitney Cross had been listed as a missing person and Krista had not used that identity in years. He added that he had scrubbed the internet of references to Whitney and Jordan, which could make the identity attractive to someone seeking to assume it.

When Elijah asked if she had someone specific in mind, Krista kept details to herself but accepted his offer to investigate at no charge. Their conversation briefly shifted to personal matters: Elijah asked about Blake, and Krista revealed she was engaged, fiddling with her ring as she spoke. Elijah shared that he was not seeing anyone.

As a street performer drew a crowd nearby, Krista ended the meeting. Elijah promised to contact her with any findings. They said their goodbyes, with Elijah nearly slipping and calling her Whitney again, and then parted.