LOGINThe auctioneer's cadence moved through the wall. I had built something without him. That was still true. It would stay true. Whatever I said next didn't touch it. "I don't know," I said. "That's the honest answer. Not the managed version." I met his gaze. "I don't know if what's left is enough to
Alicia's POV The older man was still talking. "Seven years," he said. "Four jurisdictions. We moved water infrastructure across borders that hadn't spoken to each other in a generation." His hands traced corridors in the air between us. "The archive is the proof it happened. That it worked." He tu
“You entered without cause,” I said. “You stayed without one.” “I don’t know what this is between you two but—” “My wife.” No variation in tone. No additional weight needed. Alicia’s hand lifted a little, then halted mid-motion and settled again without completing the gesture. The woman exhaled
Edward’s POV “Forty thousand. Do I have forty-five?” The paddle was already raised. Alicia’s hand remained under mine, unchanged in position, as though neither of us had adjusted to its presence since it settled there. “Forty-five.” I raised. “Fifty. Fifty-five.” On the left, a man leaned forw
The fifth lot began. Edward moved to speak to someone at the side of the room. I watched the auctioneer. She crossed the room toward him. He turned when she spoke. She laughed. It had worked before, that laugh. I scanned the sixth lot. Mixed media, authenticated 2019, provenance verified. Her h
Alicia's POV Volkov was already at the door when we came in. His eyes went to my dress and came back up. Lazily. He turned to Edward, and they shook hands. It ran a half-second longer than it needed. "You both came," he said. "You invited us," Edward said. "I invite many people. They don't alwa
The table went still. I set my fork down. Looked at Daniel. He met my eyes. Waited. "Daniel's in the best position to know," I said. The words came out flat. Held. But underneath, something was burning. Grandma's eyebrows lifted. She turned to Daniel. "What does he mean? Is she well?" Daniel t
I closed the door behind us. Lucy turned to face me. Arms crossed. Guard up but trying to look casual. "What's this about?" she asked. I didn't answer immediately. Just looked at her. Really looked at her. She was good. I'd give her that. The performance was nearly flawless. Posture relaxed. Exp
Edward's POV Margaret Chen's office sat on the forty-third floor of a building I'd walked past thousand times without ever entering. Minimalist in the way only people with real power could afford to be. No awards on the walls. No family photos. Just floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking midtown and
Alicia's POV The office was quieter than it had any right to be. High enough that the city looked unreal. Corner suite. Windows overlooking a slice of downtown I'd never paid attention to before. The kind of quiet that came from thick walls and expensive construction, the kind that made every smal







