afternoon thre

r the cast-iron bench in

ifted to the distance-two bodyguards in black suits, miniature communicators tuck

marked them as members of the Iris Syndicat

crunching softly on the gravel path, a bone

mething new," he murmured, his

ick up small construction jobs. Our men have been keeping tabs, every client he's

uckles tapping th

s from the Syndicate, sent t

the curling steam

e Syndicate's gray-market operations-by setting up shop ther

t seem to get it

s, but the fraying on the lapels is impossible to hide. Last week, he met with a client who does building materials

t was Tiger-the Syndicate's man in charge of construction material transport. He slammed the c

l sitting in a cramped conference room,

throw his weight around like the high-powered CBD executive he used to be,

rned red with rage haggling over a measly 100,000

holstered at his waist at all times, its serial

n there'

e dripped w

her eye on a Hermès Birkin and demanded Daniel pay for it. He told her he onl

ke care of me for

rity footage that the diamond necklace around her neck was a sample Daniel stole from

a's tantrum, the boutique manager called Frank dire

. Let her make a scene-let her pu

tared at the camellias in

the marks left on my arm when Lola dug her nails i

heir contract-and the signature on the termination letter b

" he'd abandoned ten years of marriage and broken eve

s all because my father had quietly funneled the Syndicate's resources his way. Every

month later, at the I

floor ballroom, where crystal

ns and tailored suits, silver

a new energy collaboration when I turned an

suit glinted under the li

en Lola-just a half-empty glass

ong moment before walking over, as i

block him, but I stop

ice rough and dry, like

talk?

h embedded with a micro-camera linked directly to

race was biting, wh

ng so tightly his kn

hadows, Frank leaned against

sounds," Daniel said, his ey

y helped Lola because she reminded me of those days in co

I cut him off,

was an Browns Syndicate property. My father told th

ained of all col

t of as his "self-made success" had been

at rainy day, her clothes were soaked through. I just felt sorry for h

but laugh. "Or was it because you thought the Syndicate

s lips

scared of the thunderstorm. She begged me to stay with her... I

mpt in my eyes impossible to hide. "How cliché." William always

ot up, his eyes filled with t

how him the massive diamond ring on my ring finger-a custom piece

e the CBD for five whole years on your

ed up with tears as he grabbed my wrist, his nails digging into my skin. "Anna, please-give me another cha

of his grasp gently, m

N