LOGINThe 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
Edward's POV He still thinks he came here for the meeting. The room absorbed it. Nobody spoke. Alicia studied the table. Volkov’s attention stayed on her, patient, certain of the space he occupied. I picked up my water glass. Drank. Set it down. He leaned forward. "What I bring isn't only cap
"Two weeks," he said. "Who handled it?" "Me." He looked at me steadily. "You built a structure to reduce dependence on any single person. And the first time it was tested." "I was there and it needed handling." "You're always there." His eyes moved to Edward and back. "That’s what I’m trying to
Alicia's POV The building was ten minutes from the hotel. We didn’t speak in the car. I ran through the framework. Ownership structure. Rotterdam timeline. Enforcement protocols. Edward sat to my left, close enough that our shoulders nearly touched, and not a word passed between us the entire driv
Dubai watched me. Martens did the same. The third one tilted his head, like he had heard something he could not place. "Are you her lawyer?" Dubai asked. "No." "Then why do you know about the paperwork?" "I just." I breathed. "I am familiar with the situation." "Familiar," the third one repeate
Alicia's POV The engine settled into a rhythm I hadn't realized I’d been missing. For days now, every drive had been a frantic sprint toward the next crisis. This morning, there was only the envelope on the passenger seat, its corner tucked against the scuff on the leather I’d made last month. The
"The vendor contract," I said. "Walk me through the reasoning." He did. His logic was solid. One variable was misweighted. I corrected it. He noted it. No argument. Leo respected precision. After twenty minutes I noticed he had stopped writing. "What," I said. "Nothing." He glanced at me. "You s
Edward's POV The laptop was open before the corridor outside had fully woken up. I had been lying there for twenty minutes before I admitted I wasn't going to sleep again. Another five after that before I reached for it with my left hand. The sling held my right arm against my chest in a way that
Alicia's POV The apartment smelled like coffee and garlic from whatever Elena had made earlier. I dropped my bag by the door. Walked to the kitchen. Filled a glass with water. Drank it standing at the sink, looking out the small window at the building across the street. Elena was on the couch wh







