a Harri

ve's eyes, sharp and unforgiving, searched my face for a lie. She was a woman who understood on

, and I needed to

noted the slight tremor in her fingers where they gripped the armrests, the unnatur

the academy on the East Coast, I studied under a Swiss nun who was a master of

omentarily derailed by confusion. "What do

pallor of your skin and the exhaustion you try so hard to hide. You suffer from palpi

r eyes widening slightly. I had hit the mark perfectly. My knowledge didn't come from a Swiss nun; it

o dedicate my time to your health. Formulating the proper herbal remedies and tinctures requires immense focus and care. I cannot, i

was replaced by a flicker of genuine surprise, followed by a guarded warmth. I

?" she asked, her voice l

and my honor," I

Clara vibrating with shock. My assistant knew I had never studied pharmacology, but she was smart enough to keep h

the scent of heavy French perfume and velvet,

s over the Persian rug. Rosa, her maid, flinched and pressed herself against the doorframe. "You told m

, Madam," Ro

ng. "And then she refuses the keys. A sixteen-year-old girl, handed the kingdom, and she turns it

ehow, that little bitch looked at this family and saw the rot. She knows th

h her. Every step she takes, every word she whispers to that assistant of hers

ling me inside my gilded cage. I let out a long, slow b

t with confusion. "Miss

, moving to the vanity

e in the palm of your hand. The Harrison family would have benefited gr

e, Clara, the Gallo estate is a sinki

pping closer. "W

p massive losses from their illicit operations or being skimmed by their own people. The family coffers are empty.

ed as the reality

k discipline. They are violating *Omertà* every single day with their arrogance. The Feds are probably already circling. If I take control now, I become t

confusion vanished, replaced by a deep, profound

corner," I said quietly. "We survive by stayi

"I understand, Boss. W

beautiful in the morning light, but I knew the truth. The fo