Marchet

silence meant ignorance. The second was believing

had ma

wearing the neutral mask he saved for questions he

ndi Ho

what yo

just for a breath. "W

sn't my

d me about it. I told her

l

es

ut defending himself first. That

hy

found, and I didn't want to hand he

lready i

ll her t

reful,

was quiet, steady. Not a subordinate's voice. A friend's. I ha

t happened t

Bellandi was part of their dealings. Then it vanished after a scand

ase

try. Others died. T

o might have kn

my fa

ed. That was

twenty-four, and I had spent years believing I understo

did he

gating Bellandi

Why was I n

father orde

dfather

oday would do anything t

turned to my desk. "Find every surviving record. N

gging into the same thi

e who means her

d." He held my gaze. "Y

ed about the

cour

out,

ible for her grandfather's choices. Stop

sed before I

sn't responsible for the past. Neither was I. But I co

uld place her family under my protection, whether

to abandon impossible cases, the way she fought to keep her grandfather's f

as a weakness I

-

rchetti estate, a place I hadn't

ts family had outlived its enemies. It smelled of polished wood and old books. Portraits of dead

y father saying the old man trusted hidden compartments more than locked d

hotograph, folded letters, and a seale

quite steady as

an

our grandfather told you. The Accordo was never merely a marriage agreement. It was

hat happened to me, find the

ou should fear most may be th

er all these years, felt like grief returning in a new shape. I

e buzze

the Castellano

as there. She may

ediately. "W

confi

ste

e men were

ghtened. "

on't

longer felt like memory

ere safe, but don't frigh

she re

on in the dark glass, a

'll go

gerously close to fear. Not for my empire or my name, but for the w

tied to the secret I'd chased for years. Sh

ust carried that