pte

he Velve

his eyes had sharpened-a gleam of both warning and apology. That expression was familiar to her. She'd seen it in men who ca

ked, voice low

nally said, "The heir." Not the traditionalists. Not your father's generation. T

shimmering faintly in the dim light. The heir. That could only mean one thing: someone from within the S

my blood on the fl

books. The women you've safeguarded. the identities you

o disappear the way she'd learned as a girl, blend into smoke and vanish into shadow. This, how

" she asked, sti

will follow. They won't just send red envelopes. Isa then made a gradual

the final barrier before they control everything. Isa remained silent f

Madame Rouge smile, but

ilt this empire with scars. Let's see

on discipline, emotional detachment, and precision-qualities that made him indispensable in covert operations where seduction, betrayal, and double l

lomats, military generals, foreign dignitaries; all came to Maison Rouge, and all left lighter in conscience and information. Its hostesses were trained not only in

pressure from NATO allies, had taske

d wax-stamped with the Maison's crest-a pair of lips pierced with a dagger-and led him to the Crimson Wing, where o

kin, raven hair in a loose bun, and a red choker that seemed to shimmer with its own secret language. She didn't smile when she saw

t Damien felt it the moment their eyes locked: she was dangerous. She saw

ight, everyt

c hours. An off-site database was used to record and store conversations. He planted the micro-recorder beneath Isa's vanity. She noticed but

traddling his lap, her breath tracing his jaw. "Your hands are to

as still intact. He hadn't

this place down." However, Maison Rouge is not constructed of wood

om. Not because he feared exposure-he could kill her in a dozen ways and be gone before midnight.

Dagger inbound. Isa be terminated. She is aware. He st

when he closed his eyes, he didn't see a target. He saw her fingers tracing th

nt of silence he couldn't explain. By

ed it together. Maison Rouge was not just a brothel-it was a training ground. Its masterpiece was Isa. He knew he should report her. He knew he should call for extraction. He just couldn't. They got closer each night, not just physically but also in

th wish. But n

pared for. Damien was able to feel it. He wasn't just falling for a spy. Together with h