the sky, glass walls trapping humidity and the scent of tropi

by the orchid display, her back to the entrance, her posture s

s, a thousand shopping trips, a thousand confidences shared over wine that had

ning herself near the exit, her hand in her pocket wrapped around her phone. The recordin

He's-he's not well, Alexandra. The pressure of the pr

Capital. I know you've been feeding information to them, using Cary

ng something harder, hungrier, more desperate than A

of this?" She stepped closer, her hands gesturing wildly, knocking against an orchid stem. "I was tryi

tened on her phone. "

hed out, grabbed Alexandra's arm, her fingers digging in with surprising strength. "He's not what you think, Alexandra. That company he hides, that Sterling Holdings,

her grip. Stepped

ckly, when he could have had anyone?" She laughed again, softer this time, sadder. "He needed you, Alexandra. Your name. Your connections. Your father's shipping routes and your mother's

same fears she had voiced in their marriage's early days, the same insecuritie

you. Cary was-he was supposed to be your escape. Your

ce boarding school, who had held her hand through her father's affairs

. The pattern.

ts, her sense of inadequacy, until Alexandra was ripe for manipulation. Until she would believe tha

ingly. "About the pills. Before I took

ce went sti

ve me, that I had nothing left to lose." Alexandra stepped closer now, reversing their positions, forcing Lilith back against the o

t's

nged, when I started fighting back- you panicked. You fed Cary to your mysterious fund, you tried to destroy Holt's comp

ance-Alexandra couldn't tell anymore, couldn't trust her own j

Alexandra, you're

burning. "Don't lie to me. Not anymore. I know what you did. I know what you're capable of. And I swear to

rom the doorway. Deep.

se entrance, his face unreadable, his eyes moving between them with the

from Lilith's shoulders. "

m, positioning himself slightly in front of Alexandra, a shield or a captor she couldn't determine. His gaze flickered to her pocket, where her hand was still

controlled. "We're old friends, Mr. Blanchard. Having a conversation ab

ve Alexandra's face. "

sponsible. But now-" She looked at Lilith, at the woman who had been her sister in everything but blood, and felt

of her pocket and pulled it free, intertwining the

nd out." He sa

was the voice of a man who had built empires in shado

vement with my wife, and whatever game you're playing. Or you can explain it to my attorneys, the SEC, and even

ure finally cracking, her eyes darting

ispered. "They contacted me. Us

pted. "Emails. Accoun

r for the Metropolitan Museum. They're supposed to have a representative there. Someone who can a

, the same gesture he used on his watch when th

duce her as a potential asset. Someone disaffected, a

Alexandr

terrified her. "No more secrets. No more solo missions. Whatever this is, whoever these

ing why, who had offered partnership without demanding explanation, who was willin

made her

ance." S

otions Alexandra couldn't read-envy, despa

but you don't. Aurelian isn't just a fund. It's not just money." She laughed, broken. "It's a mirror,

ted. "The Met. We'll disc

nd firm on her back, his presence a wall be

od alone among the orchids, her face in shadow, h

hing." Alex

h loo

you were there-if you had any part in what happened to me-" She paused. Let the

nto the city, into a future she couldn'

onless among the flowers, and if s