Semua Bab PERKS OF THE POSITION : Bab 151 - Bab 160

VERONICAFor forty-eight hours, my life had been governed by strict numerical metrics, thermal perimeter sweeps, and the cold, unyielding precision of absolute control but tonight, I chose to unwind.Julian was secure at St. Jude. The Swiss enrollment was finalized. Collins was dead and erased. I deserved a break. I sat alone in the dim, amber-lit corner of a private subterranean lounge in Mayfair, the quiet inside my own head was deafening.I was on my fourth glass of neat scotch; a single-malt older than my intelligence agency. The amber liquid burned down my throat, blurring the sharp edges of my vision, dulling the perpetual, high-frequency hum of my analytical mind until my HUD contact lenses felt heavy against my eyes. I had deliberately stripped off my silver-rimmed spectacles, tossing them into the bottom of my leather clutch, leaving the world a soft, out-of-focus smear of shadows.I had sent Carolina and Catya away. A rare, catastrophic breach of protocol. I wanted no secur

VERONICA The morning sun poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the breakfast room, far brighter than it had any right to be.I sat at the glass dining table in a dark silk robe buttoned all the way to my neck, pressing a chilled glass of cucumber water against my temple. My silver-rimmed glasses were finally back where they belonged, perfectly polished, though they did little to soften the pounding behind my eyes.Last night existed only in flashes.I closed my eyes for a second, then adjusted my glasses carefully. Even the smallest movement threatened to split my skull."Your heart rate is surprisingly stable," Carolina said as she walked into the room. "Considering you spent the evening in a Mayfair nightclub and ended it being carried home by the President of the Sovereign Agency."She wasn't carrying a mission file or a weapon for once.Instead, she arrived with a silver tray holding coffee, a croissant, and her tablet.That alone made me suspicious.She set everything o

VERONICA The only sound in the underground range was the steady rhythm of gunfire.Thwip. Thwip. Thwip.Three rounds landed almost on top of one another in the center of the target twenty-five meters away.I lowered the pistol, pressed the magazine release, and caught the empty magazine before it hit the floor. Heat still lingered along the barrel as I stepped back from the firing line.Down here, everything made sense.Targets never lied.Ballistics followed mathematics.Steel behaved exactly as expected.People were the only unpredictable variable.I adjusted the ear protection over my hair and reached for a fresh magazine when a small amber light blinked on the control console beside the ammunition case.An incoming secure call.I switched my headset to the encrypted channel."Speak.""Veronica."The voice was familiar.Chris.My former boss."I traced your signal before you finished saying my name," I replied as I loaded another magazine into my SIG. "You're calling through an un

VERONICA The espresso cup exploded.Porcelain scattered across the white wall of my hotel suite, spraying coffee over the immaculate wallpaper and the Persian rug beneath my feet.I stared at the mess for half a second.Then I looked back at the newspaper in Carolina's hands."A love child?"My voice came out louder than intended.Carolina took one cautious step backward."A love child?""Technically, Veronica…""Don't."She stopped.I snatched the newspaper from her before she could finish.The headline occupied almost the entire front page.THE PRESIDENT'S SECRET HEIR: ALEXANDER GERALD AND SPYMASTER VERONICA EVEREST UNHOLY LOVE CHILD REVEALED!Beneath it were two photographs.One of Alexander looked miserable enough to qualify for a national emergency.The other was an old photograph of me from four years ago, my expression so severe that I appeared to be personally considering someone's execution.I stared at the headline.Then I stared at Carolina."Who wrote this?""Claire."Of

VERONICAThe Grand Ballroom of the Dolder Grand smelled like expensive perfume, stale coffee, and the particular kind of panic that only appeared when three hundred powerful people realized something had gone terribly wrong.The annual European Defense Integration Summit was already running behind schedule.I stood behind the polished mahogany podium, staring down at a room filled with foreign ministers, intelligence directors, ambassadors, and defense officials. Crystal chandeliers glittered above them, throwing warm light across rows of dark suits and carefully neutral expressions.I wore a navy suit, tailored within an inch of perfection. My silver-rimmed glasses sat exactly where they belonged, and not a single strand of my hair had escaped its place.If the world wanted to see me panicked, I intended to disappoint them all.For forty minutes, I had discussed orbital encryption protocols across the Baltic sector.No scandal.No Julian.No Alexander.Just data."That concludes the