Chapter 14

Thankfully, Victor was still occupied with a phone call in the adjoining room, so I could answer without worrying about interrupting him.

The moment I saw Anthony's name on my screen, my heart practically leaped.

Finally!

Ever since I'd moved to New York, Anthony had made one rule crystal clear: I wasn't allowed to contact him first.

Not even once.

It wasn't because we'd grown apart. We were simply being careful. With our shared past in the weapons business, we couldn't afford to let anyone discover how closely we were connected. Until we were certain our communications were safe, silence was our best protection.

Still, that didn't make waiting for his calls any easier.

Anthony wasn't just my cousin. He was one of the few people I could trust with my life. We had always been on the same wavelength, often understanding each other with barely a word exchanged. Perhaps it was in our blood. We shared the same sharp instincts, the same calculating minds, and an unfortunate tendency to get ourselves tangled in complicated situations.

The difference was, Anthony usually had a plan.

And I usually ended up helping him fix it.

"Hello, Anthony!" I answered, unable to hide the excitement in my voice.

"Sevra, how have you been?"

"I'm fine! How about you?"

"I'm doing well, too." His familiar voice brought a smile to my face. "Anyway, I wanted to give you a quick update about the children you're sponsoring."

My smile softened into something warmer.

"How are they?"

"They're all doing well and seem comfortable. But they miss you."

A pang of longing tugged at my heart.

The forty children I'd taken under my wing came from different countries, many of them victims of war. Some had lost their parents, while others had been robbed of the childhood every child deserved. I'd done everything I could to give them a safer place to live and a chance at a better future.

But since coming to New York, I hadn't been able to visit them.

"I miss them, too," I admitted. "I just can't visit them yet. Tell them to be patient with me, okay? I'll definitely come back."

"I will. You know how they are. They keep asking when you'll return."

I bit my lip, fighting the ache in my chest.

"Tell them I haven't forgotten them. Not for a single day."

"I will, Sevra."

For a brief moment, neither of us spoke. I wanted to ask him a hundred questions, to hear about everything I'd missed while we'd been keeping our distance. But we both knew better than to let sentiment make us careless.

Then Anthony's voice turned serious.

"There's something else. I wanted to update you about Alexander."

My smile faded slightly.

"Alexander? What's going on?"

"He's currently negotiating a weapons purchase deal. The weapons are intended to be smuggled into Cambodia, and the negotiations have become complicated."

I sat up straighter.

"What kind of complications?"

"The documentation. Alexander needs someone who understands the weapons trade and knows how these transactions work. Someone who can review the paperwork, identify the problems, and help prepare the necessary documents."

I already knew what was coming.

"And you want me to help him."

"Exactly." Anthony didn't hesitate. "You know this business inside out, Sevra. You understand the procurement process, the documentation, and the details that inexperienced people tend to overlook. Alexander could really use your expertise."

I let out a quiet breath.

There was a time when international weapons transactions had been my specialty. I knew how much could depend on a single document, a missing certificate, or a discrepancy between records. I also knew that paperwork could be manipulated to conceal the true destination of a shipment.

It was a world I'd tried to leave behind.

"I'll need to understand the situation before I agree to anything," I told him. "Send me the details, and I'll see what I can do."

"That's all I'm asking."

"And Anthony?"

"Yes?"

"Don't let Alexander rush into anything before I've reviewed the documents."

A faint chuckle came through the phone.

"Still as cautious as ever."

"Someone has to be. You certainly aren't going to do it for me."

"Excuse me? I'm the cautious one in this family."

I almost laughed.

"Of course you are. And I'm the Queen of England."

His laughter warmed me more than it should have. For a few seconds, I could almost forget the distance between us, the secrets we had to keep, and the life I'd left behind.

This was what I'd missed most about Anthony. He could make me feel understood without asking me to explain every little thing.

Then his voice changed.

"Sevra, I've also found out who betrayed you."

My smile vanished.

For a moment, I thought I'd misheard him.

"What?"

I straightened in my seat, suddenly forgetting all about the sushi in front of me.

"Who is it?" I asked urgently.

"Laurent. He's living in Haiti now."

I froze.

"Laurent? That Laurent?"

I could hardly believe what I was hearing.

"Why would she do that to me?"

"It turns out Laurent is the adopted daughter of Mr. Brandon Greeks, the man who used to supply weapons to several conflict-ridden countries in the Middle East."

My blood ran cold as the pieces began to fall into place.

Brandon Greeks.

Laurent.

The connection was too significant to ignore.

"Oh, shit..."

I tightened my grip on the phone.

"So she deliberately set me up."

"That's what it looks like," Anthony replied. "I haven't confirmed every detail yet, but the connection is there."

I stared at the table, my mind racing.

Laurent.

Of all people, it had been her.

The betrayal was almost too absurd to comprehend. I'd spent so long trying to figure out who had dismantled the life I'd built, never imagining that the answer would be someone connected to a man in the same business.

My jaw tightened.

If Laurent really had orchestrated my downfall, then I hadn't simply been unlucky. Someone had made sure I lost everything.

And I intended to find out why.

I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I failed to notice Victor had returned to the room.

He was standing right behind me.

I had no idea how much of the conversation he'd overheard.

My stomach tightened.

"Anthony, I have to go. Something's come up. I'll call you later," I said hurriedly.

"Don't call me. I have to leave, too. I'll get in touch with you again. Bye."

Before I could respond, the line went dead.

I slowly lowered my phone.

The warmth I'd felt at the beginning of our conversation had disappeared, replaced by a knot of unease in my stomach.

When I turned around, Victor was watching me with a curious expression.

For one uncomfortable moment, I wondered whether he'd heard Laurent's name. Or caught the details about my past. Or perhaps even realized that the man I'd been speaking to was far more than an ordinary friend.

Victor's gaze lingered on my face.

I couldn't tell what he was thinking, and that made me even more nervous.

But he didn't ask a single question.

Neither did I offer an explanation.

I put my phone away and turned back toward the table, pretending nothing had happened.

Victor returned to his seat, and we continued our dinner.

Only now, the food tasted different, and the comfortable atmosphere we'd shared earlier had vanished.

I stole a glance at him.

He was eating calmly, as though nothing unusual had happened. Yet I couldn't shake the feeling that his silence meant something.

Perhaps he'd heard nothing.

Or perhaps Victor Haulette had heard just enough to realize that his new secretary was hiding a past worth investigating.

For the rest of the meal, neither of us had much to say.