ra

er breakfast. He sat across from me at the head of the long maho

e said, smirking as he buttered

ipped my

ing lik

s fingers brushing mine. I had

Elara? You know you're the only on

ask of calm. "I have a business meeting this morning," I

Of course. My brilli

ans the Family used, but in my personal convertible

a discreet shop tucked away in a grim

was. I commissioned a flawless new identity: "June Bennett

private account Bren

his sterile, white lab. The air

h Kiya, my voice clinical and detached, as if I

nished. "With my protégée. Ther

to reason with me. He saw the steel in my spine, the absolute

a two-part compound. The final component

. Brendan'

tent it was a bitte

the fligh

oyer, pacing like a caged tiger. The moment he saw me, re

, his voice tight. "Your security

yway, where two large boxes of my c

d smoothly, not missing a beat. "For

rained from his face, repla

r. "Don't ever do that again," he murmured. "Don't eve

still in his embra

the man whose memory I

own for his discretion. The diamond was a massive, f

elted down," I told the jew

x. Inside was the loose diamond and

Family's black sedans parked just inside. Brendan was

e walked over as I got out, his eyes immedia

asked, curiosity s