ログインAria's POV
I stayed close.
Not in the room, that was Lucien's to handle and I had enough sense to know it. But I stayed in the kitchen just down the hall, close enough that if anything went sideways I was there.
Chen sat with me. He didn't say much, just made himself a coffee and leaned against the counter the way he did when he was keeping watch wit
Aria's POV"Yes," he said quietly. "You are."We stayed like that for a bit. The city outside kept going. The phone on his desk buzzed twice and he ignored it both times, which was practically a miracle."Victor's going to find out about Emma today," I said into his chest. "When his Nevada move falls through.""I know," he said."He's going to be angry," I said."Good," Lucien said. "Angry people make mistakes.""So do people who feel like they're winning," I said.He pulled back slightly to look at me. "Meaning?""Meaning don't get comfortable," I said. "Emma was one source. If he's been at this for two years
Aria's POVI stayed close.Not in the room, that was Lucien's to handle and I had enough sense to know it. But I stayed in the kitchen just down the hall, close enough that if anything went sideways I was there.Chen sat with me. He didn't say much, just made himself a coffee and leaned against the counter the way he did when he was keeping watch without making it obvious. I appreciated that about Chen. He never made a performance out of anything.The conversation in the study lasted twenty three minutes. I knew because I was watching the clock on the microwave without meaning to.When Emma came out, I heard her heels in the hallway. I didn't look up from the cup I was pretending t
Aria's POVThe next morning started quietly.I woke up before Lucien for once, which almost never happened. He was still asleep when I slipped out of bed, his face relaxed in a way it never quite managed during waking hours. I stood there for a second looking at him, then went to make coffee.Marcus arrived at eight with Chen right behind him. They both had that slightly charged energy that meant something had happened overnight."Talk," I said, handing Marcus a cup without asking if he wanted one.He took it automatically. "Victor made a move last night. He tried to accelerate the Nevada acquisition. Pushed through two purchase orders after market close through a third party broker.""W
Aria's POVBy five o'clock, the light in the study had shifted from bright to that flat, tired gold that meant the day was almost done. I'd been through Victor's entire financial portfolio twice and had three pages of notes that I kept second guessing myself on.Not because the analysis was wrong. Because every time I wrote something down, some part of my brain already knew what the next line was going to be before I got there. And I still couldn't tell why.I put the papers down and stretched my neck.Lucien was still at his desk. He'd taken his jacket off at some point and rolled up his sleeves, which he always did when he'd been working for too long. He was on a call, speaking quietly, something about a regulatory filing. I gathered my
Aria's POVHe hung up and looked at me across the desk. There was a beat of silence where I could see him thinking about something he wasn't saying yet."What?" I asked."Nothing," he said.It wasn't nothing. But I let it go.~~~Marcus arrived twenty minutes later with Chen and a plate of food that neither of us had asked for specifically but both needed. He set everything on the side table and pulled up a chair without being asked."So," Marcus said, looking between us. "The leak.""Three pieces of false information," I said. "Three people. We feed each one something different and specific, something actionable. If Victor moves on any of it, we know exactly where
Aria's POVI didn't sleep until four.By the time I finally pulled myself away from the study, my eyes were burning and I'd gone through three cups of coffee that had all gone cold before I finished them. Lucien was still at his desk when I left. I touched his shoulder on the way out and he caught my hand briefly, held it for a second, then let go and went back to whatever he was reading.I was asleep before my head properly hit the pillow.~~~In the morning, Marcus had left a folder on the kitchen counter with a Post-it note on top that just said Hale - personal. I poured myself coffee and sat down with it.Victor Hale was not what I expected.I'd pictured someone cold and corporate, t
Aria's POVI headed for the library. I didn't need a nurse, a guard, or a confession. I had the only weapon that mattered, my own mind. And I was going to use it to bring out every truth he was hiding.The heavy oak doors of the library clicked shut behind me, sealing out the
Aria's POVLucien was still standing by the darkened television, his silhouette cast in jagged red by the emergency lights. He looked like a king standing amidst the ruins of his palace. His chest was heaving, his hand still white-knuckled around the grip of his gun."Lucien?" I
Aria's POV I didn't waste a second. I grabbed a trench coat to cover my disheveled state and followed Marcus and Chen down the private elevator. The air in the garage felt different, it was thicker and charged with the kind of static that precedes a storm."We take the armored SUV," Mar
I spent the next few hours pacing the length of the room until my feet were sore. The plush carpet felt like sandpaper against my skin, and every time I caught my reflection in the darkened window, I saw a woman I barely recognized. I wasn't the cold, calculating Aria who ha







