Castella

I noticed was

ghts, scattered around an overturned chair. A cabinet hung ope

nt, I coul

ano Legal. And judging by the m

el

her had fallen from the wall, its glass shattered. I crouched and picked it up. He was smiling, one arm arou

it gently on the desk, as

e door standing ope

The old ledgers were gone. All of them. They hadn't t

come for

lla

broke in. Did you give any

ot. Vivienne,

re. I'm callin

h dialing, a footste

thes stood in the corridor, unsurp

'd prefer you stopp

have sent

"Some truths are

say when the truth

een us, my heart hammering. *Who will protect you?* he asked, and a

ost as much as I

d toward them, and I seized the moment, hurling the

he corridor. Pain shot through my w

go of

her

ng for it. The man released me,

His face was perfectly composed, but his eyes found my wri

ur hands on a woman under my protection. You'

e cracked. "This doesn't

him ou

tepped forward anyway. "Who sen

s. "Ask your

s de

act

e, and I was le

te. "What are y

ou alive,

't ask

in a building you kne

have ha

ttered glass, the tor

er, and that

ou know I

ne tol

ho

t n

you stand there deciding what I'm allowed to know?" My

slightly. "You remind me of

, he took off his jacket and settled it ar

on. You'r

iced. I hated more that the warmth of his jacket made m

re you t

where

going

y already be

et to decide

. "But I'm asking you to consider that someone has be

ape. What if whoever was behind this didn't care about the Accordo at all

worn never to trust, was the only person w