iers dripped light onto a sea of tailored suits and designer gowns. Powe

lled the room, a man used to command. He smiled, a practiced, po

amplified slightly. "Tonight, we stan

stood beside him, a poli

trious Hawthorne family, through my son, Et

ripple of

m, "the Hawthornes possess a unique... talent. Their mastery of cr

on. On it rested the Hawthorne Legacy Key. It gleamed unde

t, we honor that tradition. The young man who can unlock this marvel will not only win the hand of Miss Hawthor

ect. "Get Hawthor

, twisted into a

. They knew the stakes. Hawthorne support was a kingmaker. But

o me with a show of warmth. "Tell us, wh

d to the empty space wher

I said, my voice clear and c

n has been chasing after you since he was a boy. He's utterly devoted. It's just unfortunate he's

ied I was bei

Kents shuffled

ible. She's jus

ractically married. Th

how up. Makes us a

e crossing his face. "Well, if no one can

ballroom doo

ut him. His arm was possessively around Clara B

the room and knelt dramatica

ang out. "I implore you, grant yo

asp went throu

sick? He's be

n. He would risk his father's wrath,

d Hawthorne cryptography, but

mask of thunder. Ele

s?" she hissed. "You're to

ant lovers. "I love Clara," Ethan declared. "I will

ent on an alliance, for the sake of corporate stability, for the good of our families..

The Hawthorne... technology... could be part of