Chapter: Chapter 87: Preparation- SIERRAWhen I blinked my eyes open, my brain spent a solid five seconds trying to map the room. Alright. The safehouse in Cologny.I threw off the heavy blanket and swung my legs out of bed, my bare feet hitting the freezing floorboards. The bedroom was a minimalist fortress of polished concrete and floor-to-ceiling glass, looking out over the misty, gray expanse of Lake Geneva. No clutter. No personal to, lookinguches. Just expensive, cold architecture designed for people who need to hide.I pulled a plush white robe around my shoulders and stepped out onto the heated stone floors of the hallway. The scent of stale coffee hit me first.Down in the living area, Michael was crashed on the oversized leather sofa. He was still wearing his dark trousers, but his dress shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, his tie tossed over the back of a chair. His long legs were awkwardly draped over the armrest, and his chest rose and fell in slow, heavy rhythms. Even asleep, his face had a tight, g
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-24
Chapter: Chapter 86: The Disguise- SIERRAThe Cologny safehouse was built from sleek glass and cold stone with hard, sharp edges, looking out over a gray, misty stretch of Lake Geneva. I put my leather bag slowly and carefully onto the sleek kitchen island, feeling the two-hundred-and-fifty-million-dollar certificate inside it.Michael stood by the tall glass doors, his phone practically glued to his palm as he skimmed through another encrypted briefing."Michael," I said, leaning my hips against the counter. "The imposter. If the woman pretending to be Miss Figueroa was truly Vivian, would she show up at tomorrow’s gala?"Michael didn't look up from his screen. "It’s a grand event. The biggest logistics summit in Europe this quarter. If the Galbraiths or the Wellingtons want to legitimize their little puppet, that’s the exact stage they’ll use. So, yeah. It’s highly possible."I let out a dry, sharp breath. "Highly possible? Try guaranteed. Vivian wouldn't miss a chance to play dress-up in front of Euro high societ
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-22
Chapter: Chapter 85: The Underground Exit- SIERRAI shoved the heavy brass bond certificate and the velvet pouch down into the deepest compartment of my leather bag, pulling the zipper shut with a sharp snap. My hands were still shaking, the cold weight of that two-hundred-and-fifty-million-dollar figure burning behind my eyelids.I slid the heavy iron box back into its slot in the wall, the metal screeching against the track. I took a breath, smoothing down the front of my green trench coat, before reaching out to press the red buzzer by the door.A few minutes later, the heavy bulkhead wheel groaned, and Fabien, the bank manager, stepped back into the room. "Everything was to your satisfaction, Madame Figueroa?" he asked, his hands clasped behind his back."Yes. Thank you, Fabien," I said, keeping my voice level as I looped the bag over my shoulder. "We're done here.""Excellent. Follow me, please."He led me back through the maze of security gates, the heavy steel doors clicking shut behind us like a series of trapdoors.
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-21
Chapter: Chapter 84: The Waiting- DESMONDThe rain started just as we pulled up to the curb outside Banque Vontobel & Cie. It wasn't a heavy downpour, just a miserable, gray drizzle that smeared the windshield and turned the cobblestones into ice.I kept the window cracked an inch, the damp cold hitting my face as I stared at the heavy oak doors of the bank. Ten minutes had passed since we killed the engine. Then twenty."Nothing," I muttered, my fingers tapping a frantic rhythm against the leather seat of the rental car. "Nigel, check the registry again. Are you sure this is the branch?"Nigel didn't look up from his tablet. "This is the only Vontobel branch within the old district that handles the legacy Figueroa accounts, sir. If she’s in Geneva, she’s coming here."Kayden was in the passenger seat, his laptop balanced on his knees. The screen showed a map of the surrounding blocks, dotted with two blue markers, his guys on the pavement. He was wearing a battered leather jacket, looking entirely out of place among
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-20
Chapter: Chapter 83: The Uninvited Guest- SIERRAMy stomach did a cold, ugly drop the second Vivian’s heels stopped clicking over. She stood at the edge of our table, pasting a sweet smile."Desmond," she purred, tilting her head. "Why do you look so freaked out?""Vivian," I said. My voice was too stiff, too controlled, but I couldn't help it. I didn't stand up. I just sat there, my hand holding the water glass with a crushing grip.Kayden leaned back in his chair, his eyes drilling into her with the intensity of a laser sight. He didn't say a word, but the rhythm of his fingers tapping against his knee slowed down. He knew exactly who she was. I’d just laid out her entire track record to him twelve hours ago at the lounge."What are you doing in Geneva, Vivian?" I asked, cutting straight through the pleasantries.She let out a soft, melodious laugh that made me want to put my fist through the drywall. "Is that any way to greet family?" She glanced at Kayden, her smile widening into something predatory. "And who is your fr
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-19
Chapter: Chapter 82: The Layover- DESMONDKayden was already at the back of the private lounge, a newspaper spread across his lap and an unlit cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. The airport terminal outside the glass wall was a blur of early morning travelers, but back here, the air was dead quiet.When he saw me walk in with Nigel, he tossed the paper onto the glass table and stood up. For a guy pushing sixty, he moved like a threat. He caught me in a heavy, rough hug, barking a laugh into my shoulder before slapping my back hard enough to rattle my teeth."Look at you, kid," Kayden said, stepping back to eye my coat. "Still dressing like you’re attending a boardroom execution. Sit down. The bird’s fueling up.""Good to see you, Kayden," I said, taking the leather armchair across from him. Nigel dropped his briefcase by the door and stayed standing, his eyes on the terminal corridor."So, Geneva," Kayden said, leaning forward and resting his thick forearms on his knees. "The city of watches and blood
آخر تحديث: 2026-05-18
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