didn't

ai

handwriting was unmistakable-her father's slanted, precise scra

ns, find Cassian.

t

Cass

r for leverage, and threatened her with

er she read uncovered pieces of a life she hadn't known. Her mother had suspected someone was after her father long before

, in one

he study. I couldn't hear everything, but I caught

ong before this arranged farce.

d been orchestrated

the glass panes like pearls, and the soft light made his pro

ly. Just continued trimming a blood

parents," she

se. "

ere you pla

unreadable. "Since th

eath c

r came to me the night after her accident. He was shaking. Said it wasn't an acc

nded me over to

eal. He asked me

s. "By marrying me? By dra

n secrets and blood? Your father was my mentor. My friend. His last request was that I

or deception. All she saw was

told me all o

s a product we

quiet guard named Fen. He didn't speak unless spoken to, and even then, gave o

ing to piece t

to build a money laundering empire, and if the rumors were true, a private mi

needed

ng a murder mystery from a mug of

ive?" May

rel

air across from her. The

," Elira said. "B

s' when I walked through that steel gate and got a pat-down

ing with Cassian long before all this. They were planning some

orward. "What

is sealed and coded. I think my father hid the original wil

hink I can

college firewalls i

"Alright. Let

nig

hallway was

he hidden panel behind the old grandfather clock. Elira pressed a sequence on the ornate

"Oh, that b

started working while muttering. It took ten m

r hisse

ading to a small chamber lined

center-a

was a bundle of documents sealed i

bigger. Isn't t

racing as she

e was nearby only af

n held his gun pointed do

and muttered, "What do

ands. An important reason for me

hile. Next, surprisingly

uld have

ld have t

retched be

rs with it. It's natural to wan

k off the wax and laid out

uickly, her

inal will. The financial r

he'd faked Elira's father's death. That he had bribed officials, k

"My mind is b

his jaw shut.

n she felt. "It means justice. For my

nt expression of pride in his eyes