A

ore the words fully settled, my sto

this woman is, but

away as simple mistaken identity anymore. "Yasmine Conti actually exists. This isn't just a mix-up with names on paper

building behind his composed exterior as he continued scanning the article. "

Or to my own family, for that matter, once they finish digesting the ve

ng to her representatives, she was scheduled to arrive at last night's banquet herself, but her flight was delayed due

on sharpened. "

erately grounded her flight, timed precisely enough to keep her from attending her own engagement

e didn't just want a stand-in at that banquet. They specifically need

ct moment. This wasn't simply my aunt seizing an opportunity born from chaos. This was planned, coordinated, executed

aunt. Who else had access to Yasmine's flight schedule, to forge

mething calculating and increasingly

Which means whoever orchestrated this either has significant resources of

on hung heavy

close to you is inv

without verification. Including people I've trusted for years." He glanced at Farida,

his words had landed harder than she wanted to show. "I'll pull employee records myself, cross

nt whoever's responsible realizing we'r

nd the study fell into a

tatements or representatives or headlines. Actually talk to her. Woman to woman. If someone's manipulating both of us,

, and beneath it, something almost like respect, crossing

I'd want the same thing. Someone willing to look me in the eye and

ayd said. "Carefully

number, and I almost didn't answer before so

oth, cultured, entirely unfamiliar. "I do hope you'

aid, my grip tight

e voice said. "I simply wanted to offer a piece of advice, since you seem like a r

id, my heart hammer

ing from his tone entirely. "Before you become collateral da

nd I lowered the phone slowly, my hands trem

nce, a single detail I could hand off to someone who might actually trace it back to a name. There was nothing. Just smooth, unhurried m

item in whatever plan he was running. Two days ago I'd been an architect worried about a loan payment. Now I was apparently collat

nsity that told me he'd read ever

that," he

ow exactly what's happening here." I looked up at him, dread pooling cold and heavy in my chest

hadn't seen from him yet, not calculation,

. I want that number traced before whoever