Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 91 - Chapitre 100

Victoria shook her head. "You're overthinking this. The Masked Queen is just a smart businesswoman who happens to care about ethics and accountability. There's no grand conspiracy. No secret identity. You're seeing patterns that aren't there.""Maybe," Jack conceded. "But I have to know for sure."Victoria walked to the door, then turned back. "Jack, be careful. If you start digging into the Masked Queen's past and she finds out, she might take it as a sign we don't trust her. That could ruin any chance of her helping us.""I'll be discreet," Jack promised.After Victoria left, Jack turned back to his laptop. He opened a secure browser and logged into a private database he paid for. The sort of database that contained information not available to the public.He searched for "Elena Valdris, royal connections, Lysandria."Nothing came up directly. But there was a note in the database from six years ago. "Query flagged by Lysandrian intelligence services. Information classified by order

He led her to a tall, elegant woman in her sixties wearing a cream colored dress and pearls. She had Damien's eyes but a much more severe expression."Mother, this is Aurora Blackwell," Damien said. "Aurora, this is my mother, Catherine Whitmore.""Mrs. Whitmore, it's lovely to meet you," Aurora said, extending her hand.Catherine looked at Aurora's hand for a moment before shaking it limply. "Miss Blackwell. How interesting to finally meet you."The way she said "interesting" made it sound like she meant "disappointing.""Thank you for inviting me," Aurora said politely."Well, when Damien speaks so highly of someone, I simply must investigate," Catherine replied. She looked Aurora up and down like she was examining a piece of furniture she might purchase. "That's a lovely dress. Where is it from?""I designed it myself," Aurora said. "I'm a fashion designer.""How enterprising," Catherine said in a tone that suggested being enterprising was not a compliment. "And where did you study

"Catherine, please," the older woman corrected. "And yes, I know it's early. But I can see that my son is serious about you. And I wanted to make sure you were worthy of his affection.""And am I?" Aurora asked."More than worthy," Catherine said. "In fact, I'm hoping you'll consider a more permanent arrangement with Damien eventually."Aurora felt her heart racing. "You mean marriage?""I mean that my son has been lost since his brother died," Catherine said bluntly. "Marcus's death hit him hard. He's been drifting and not really connecting with anyone. But when he talks about you, he sounds alive again. That's worth more than any family pedigree."Catherine reached out and patted Aurora's hand. "I misjudged you based on your background. That was wrong of me. You've proven that character and accomplishment matter more than ancestry."There was a knock on the door, and Vivienne entered without waiting for permission."Catherine, I need to speak with you privately," Vivienne said, not

Friday morning arrived with dark clouds hanging over Vaelthorne City, which felt appropriate for what Elena was about to do. She stood in her office looking out at the city skyline, wearing her silver mask and her most intimidating black suit. Today was the day the Kaelthorns had to give her their answer. Today was the day she would make her final decision about their fate. Marcus knocked on her door at exactly nine o'clock. "They're here. All three of them and they look nervous." "Good," Elena said. "Let them wait fifteen more minutes. I'll come down when I'm ready." She wanted them to sit in that conference room, stewing in their anxiety, wondering what she was going to say. It was a small power play, but Elena had learned that small power plays added up. While they waited, Elena checked her phone. There was a message from her lead investigator, Morrison. "Following up on the classified Zephyr lead. I will have more information on Monday." Monday felt like forever away. Elena

"They're also saying you defrauded them by making them meet conditions for an investment you never intended to make," Marcus continued."I never promised anything," Elena pointed out. "I said I'd consider investing if they met my conditions. I considered it. I said no. That's not fraud."Marcus sat down. "Elena, the media is going crazy with this story. The business world is calling it the most brutal corporate takedown they've seen in years. You're being praised for being ruthless and criticized for being cruel.""I don't care about the media," Elena said. "Did the Kaelthorns publish that apology to Elena Valdris yet?""No," Marcus checked his phone. "They were supposed to submit it to newspapers this afternoon for Monday publication. But I'm guessing they're going to cancel it now.""Then they're in breach of contract," Elena said with satisfaction. "They signed documents agreeing to publish that apology as a condition of our negotiation. If they don't publish it, they've violated a