e in the rearview and spoke with careful respect.

es drifting to the passing

an air of quiet reliability, t

se, one ankle balanced over his knee, exuding a col

in person thre

h felt tense, every breat

Andrew's ear, his brow furrow

glued to his laptop, fingers

id to Cathryn, "Mr. Brooks is s

had buzzed with a message from their in

, his own shadow network, with a single goal: t

creen, the team worked in overdriv

his voice as a green blip pulsed on the display. They were

terested in scrolling through her pho

atching her eye in the rearview mirror. "Miss Moore, would

gged and powered it down w

on Karl's monitor vanished.

Andrew's voice cut thr

almost had it. The target di

rowed. "Where was

to life. "Last ping wa

mixed with determination. Olekgan was his domain. If Kestrel

omething was off. The signal had been

. "You should get some r

slid from the car, not

by, and Andrew

ur. "Mr. Brooks is still on the hu

e against Liam and Jordyn, a formal invitati

ering of the season, bringing out relatives, family fr

esitate to ask G

her gaze. The situation unfolded just as her plan-she'd extended that invitation to Cathryn herself, desperate t

guished, silver-haired man following behind-the

aside and humiliated-was settling for an older man and his money. Any envy she

cialites clustered near the entrance. She made sure her voice carried, thick with mockery. "Ca

e. Another flicked her hand, as if shooing away moths. Laughter bubbled up, and

er voice brightening as she spotted

greeted her with a twinkle in his eye. "Cathryn, what brings

ffered him steady support, her gaze meeting

's expression grew darker. "W

hey say I need to be intimate with an ol

n the marble. "Your mother is loaded. You have never been

y service, he was a legend in Olekgan with his wall of honors,

the room hushed. Not even Jo

ld said, squeezing Cathryn's hand as they walked toward the ban

group of social

mother had grown up under Harold's watchful eye-he didn't even know she

inest. At his side, Zoe shimmered in her purple gown, every movement rehearsed to fit her role as the rightfu

full week, yet these three preened in jewel tones, throwing a party as if grief

rom his neck. "Family night calls

e, arranging themselves like a perfe

," Harold remarked softl

ew it, she'd been

a of brightness-dressed in black, a stark white bloom pinn

"Why's she dressed in black like she's attend

respect to her step

uneral, not joining a party. Doesn

bbed through the air. "Are you try

trembling. "I wanted to celebrate with you. I really did. But my mother died merely three days ago. I can't

e-gone, and only days past? All around, faces turned to the hosts, stunned. They had i