Trust Fund Trouble

arty where everyone's hiding their face especial

n. An annual power play where every person in the room either wanted to

all three

djusting her bejeweled black mask as we steppe

e you're brilliant with fake credentials

with zero warning a

ack. Tr

hair pinned in soft waves, and a diamond masquerade

al was worth more t

ered under my breat

People glided across the floor like living illusions cham

been designed to own this world. Midnigh

at anyone else

ght," he said, voi

like you're hi

He held out his ha

d corridors until we reached a private balcony ov

to from his jacket. "Thi

sixties. Silver hair, hawk-

is

ation's offshore assets. Retired last year aft

n: got paid

anyone knows wh

's

to see Malcolm, unmasked, at the edge of

breath. "He wasn't sup

ink it'

t's a risk

his pocket. "Stay close. Do

laying sp

not p

king her way through the other side of the ballroom,

olumn just as Malcolm excused hims

lec said, noddi

im but someone ste

shoulders. Clean-cut suit. I didn't

lvia's gir

. "Sorry, I think

e defiance." His voice was smooth,

r shoul

h ghosts, darling. But only one

k, he slipped back

crackled in my earpi

I whispered. "H

ain in the courtyard, arguing

Malcolm said, voice shaking

you still aliv

d toward me. "She do

son it matters

t the real truth? It's not about

that mean

but she wasn't the only one. There were

ep forward.

lection. You're not just an heir, Mi

mach t

ur mother took the original copy. Hid it

sed close

ough." He looked at me. "You're

urned and

runk until I saw t

before Alec

ec hisse

servant halls, out the side exit. S

we reached Alec's car

oor. "They tried

hey su

ely. I called a medi

re, breat

ey," I whispered

But whatever your mother took...

"What if I'm no

u a

o you

nough I could see the

en anyone run toward d

eath

e it

sion. Not ju

al m

and maybe he would've but m

a

eone's leaking our moves.

d at th

one's leaking our moves. I

ghtened. "How

say it unless

too loud. The break-in at your dorm. Nina

wling under my skin. "We're not wo

id. "That narrow

"Are you ac

yet. But we need to assume

side the old conservatory near the quad jittery, red-eyed,

n't told you," she said b

n

ni.

anted to protect you, Ivy, but

screen to us. A

from a contact s

original. Stay

sn't have t

walking i

nothing. K

s narrowed

ou got that letter from the lawyer. I thought at first I thought ma

ion that?" My voice crack

e we were finally getting answers. But the

to the most

k off. We've neutrali

slamming. "They k

lec said, voice cold. "Either your phone

tell anyone. But someone must be tappin

e go dark. No more texts. No more calls.

l?" I

dline setup. Offline drive

steps. "We're rea

said. "We just didn't

dio a gutted industrial loft tucked behind a graffiti-cove

ni's phone for trackers, setting up encrypted logs. The tensi

he asked, no

don't have the luxu

e said. "Ju

etal table, watching him. "Why a

pau

the t

walked away the second thi

toward me, stoppe

way from people

etween us. My heart thu

e?" I wh

lowered. "

think. I

fuse lit hungry, r

verything we'd been holding back. Weeks of tensio

art, breathless, his fore

ve done that,"

o l

in a bubble of our own maki

rushe

aid. "Someone's transmitting

the frequency. A voice filte

irl survived. Ledger not recov

red a

s Phas

at me, fac

they're do