THE WOMAN HE WAS ORDERED TO DESTROY

photograph of her mother still spread out in front of her. Next to it, the black card with the Valerion crest-she

and anytime she pressed the people who'd known her mother, the conversation went cold fast. As the years went by, she told herself there was nothing

mind. She wanted to know every

rywhere, a shadow over generations of the country's wealthiest circles. The more she read, the more the story twisted into something unsettling. The Valerions weren't just rich; they'd built an empire-a spiderweb of private banking, luxury real

r was Leonti

empire. But her early story was always just out of reach. Then her son, Octavian, stepped in to run thin

when Caspian's photo

dropped t

e man from

just two strangers passing each other by chance, but now it was obvious.

lf to keep going. But something nagged at her. She typed "Isol

th

fferent spellings, years, any combination she could imagine-her eyes stinging from tiredness. But there was

er mother had

le. The photograph was right there on the table. Proof. Her mother and L

bbed her phone. Maybe there

bered her, just an occasional visitor from childhood. She hadn't talked to

rings before M

unded more surpri

ly. I just...I have to ask yo

ng heavy b

her?" Margot

work for the V

t long, but enough fo

rgo

ould ask about that,"

y n

ld leave the past

voice steady, though her hands were shaking. "I foun

ence felt s

, barely a whisper. "W

t it. I don'

ement, like Margot had started pacing. "Listen carefully,"

essed, nerves spa

know

ra's voice was more de

didn't

, feeling the cool glass, staring do

t happened t

about this o

s heart pounded. "Tell

named a café near Saint A

her hand. For the first time since getting the photo,

nearly empty café. Margot was already there, older than Vespera re

uld tell you," Margot said,

me whatev

ther worked for a financial divis

espera's pulse h

d of work

brilliant-with structures, with hidden accounts. She got tangled in

looking for?"

ipped sideways. Vespera knew that lo

re ly

er lips together

hat it was, only that she was terrified afterward. She started keeping her own records. Names, transfers, meetings, date

kled. "Why didn't you

argot's eyes darted back

's phone rang. She glanced at the scr

spera asked, dr

ut of her chair

ell me everything,

gathering her things. "I shou

argot was halfw

something close to pity. "Vespera, whatever you find-

he wa

for the Valerions. She'd found something, kept records, and scared at least one pe

era walked to the window.

e tinted-she wouldn't have noticed it if she hadn't been looking hard. But it was there. E

itting inside

against her rib

r didn

s wai

her head, clear as day: If they