THE WOMAN HE WAS ORDERED TO DESTROY

re every detail-her mother, standing apart from everyone else; a strange, unsettled look in her eyes; the old stone building; and especially the woman beside her, radiating that quiet, faded kind of

hibition was intimate, just enough guests to avoid the loud, flashy crowds-everyone seemed to know exactly where they fit. Warm lights shone on the paintings, champagne flowed quietly, and soft music drifted through the room

Caspian Valerion

He hung by an abstract painting, hand in his pocket, listening politely while an older collector rambled about

aurent had just been photo

everal meters away, was s

n Sunday mornings. He knew she preferred walking when she could, hated crowded restaurants, tapped the edge of her left

prepared him for

sn't n

n't she

agile, unstable daughter des

ctively step aside. She didn't ask for attention, but she didn't hide either. When a pa

her turn to th

d straigh

eyes

r one

aught the slight narrowing in her eyes. She'd

ost la

autious, but that word miss

up right beside the painting Casp

a wall and convinced rich people it

"That would explain why the art

him. "So you a

th millions. Didn't say

hide it. "That's a pre

y comes i

rely on

asking seems determi

weighing something. "You seem pret

don

ered like

was just

lways this

I'm enjoy

wasn't sure if he wa

certainty more inter

s Adrian,

spe

kno

qu

anged in her

"I mean, I heard someone

sts. "Nobody's called me b

an had to admit

but still-s

really good me

e you're

m it was almos

don't seem big on giving peo

le ea

pretty c

effi

like you've had a

nting enough

stopp

the painting, but Caspi

port boiled her down to facts-age, job, finances,

an wondered how his fath

urent was

t people wer

ke the painti

her d

er sai

dn't ha

again. "You watch

do y

ay

ld him the conversation w

s test

testi

eemed rea

s this difficu

ways this i

im off-just

smiled.

but he saw the small s

He knew he should be asking about her mother, the searches, the photo

und himself ta

answ

llenge

alleng

en to family wealth, and finally, the question of wheth

s the rules,"

who don't under

actly like some

r would say the opposit

ok. "You really e

ho can defend wh

t do you

tated. A tou

of everything his family built. He believed emotions could be contr

n ordered to wreck, he didn't feel

elves when they think no one

ept her e

ould be careful ab

someone passing behind

her bag slipped and spilled its

ched to gath

bent d

the photo

fro

noise aroun

aw the same photograph he'd see

t beside Leon

years, Caspian lost co

ightened arou

ng between Isolde

ra no

tood

lized she was watchin

it?" sh

it back.

ice sounde

photograph, nev

sudden stillness, the way he'd stare

this pho

N

cognize

stayed

xpression t

her name before she said it, who seemed to know more about her than he

o a quieter tone. "