pte

th the Si

When she wore diamonds and silk gowns and served as a smiling symbol for political parties alongside Marcus at ca

r eyes closed quick

y, setting a tray of food down

mpting." He kissed her forehead while smiling. "I'

One brand-new message "Secure location ready. Intel confirms surveillance on your floor. Proceed cautiously. Crimson is the code. She committed the code to memory and deleted the message. Her body was weak, but her resolve was iron. She couldn't

ft knock. A young nurse entered, pushing a medication cart. Valer

en

grained in Marcus's

er, replaced a syringe, and whispered as she passe

once more. Si

aleria exhaled slowly. She wanted more than

ed women? She would make sure it crumbled publi

from aristocracy, she was Paris's eternal muse-elegance wrapped in satin. However, there was more to her past than just the designer gowns she w

woman in love. However, calculation and survival had replaced love as a language that she had long since lost. When she went by a different name and was able to disassemble a Glock

he names of people she once hunted flash across the screen as internationa

In return, she gave him the illusion of companionship. But recently, Anton had changed-more dista

-targets. Familiar names. Operatives. Enemies. Friends. Her past was not covered up. It had been waiting all along. She felt something that had lain dormant since the revelation. Her hands

t Strikes Again Three days after finding the file, a letter arrived without postage or return address. Hand-delivered. Inside was a photo: V

, she locked herself in the guest bathroom. Not at her reflection, but into it-trying to summon the woman she once was. The one in charge. The murderer. The survivor She was riding a motorbike she hadn't ridden since her

hoto and whistled. "This is

Valeria whisper

d slowly. "That's w

had abandoned ten years earlier. The fact that he was still alive indicat

ion Arises

nel were unusually sparse. The housekeeper mentioned he left at dawn, mutteri

instincts

offshore shell belonging to Eclipse Trust, a known front for arms brokers and rogue intelligence deals. Anton wasn't just dabbling in

f her-data only someone in the inner circle could compile. Inside were records of her

e her. The realization shattered something in Valeria. Betrayal still hurt, even though love had ne

d never

all of Anton's plans, confront DeMarais, and determine whe