HIS FIRST WIFE NEVER LEFT

ile I was sleeping. At 6:31, I figured out what they'd been searching f

was wide open, but nothing was missing. My bag was untouched, passport still there, diamond earrin

ything," Lucien

ay, hair messy, dark rings under h

ow about th

N

y are yo

meone entered t

e security offi

ere your

tside your door,"

id someon

reply im

eam seems pretty good at s

onscious by the service staircase. The other

nutes wa

es

, mattress flipped-someone knew I was here,

her's

ed for

bbed my wr

d free.

trying to

n mo

etter, photograph, brass key. Relief flooded me. But the en

now there was a small scrap of paper

lded t

in black ink

ho is she?"

closer. "L

. He read it, and his

get this

N

ouch your

far as

this wing. Find the officer who went missing

nodded

omeone thinks I ha

es

the l

ssi

ass key. "Then tel

t. "I don't

e a key from your f

rt of this es

ht you o

Doesn't mean I know e

l. I slipped the key into my poc

d, "Not w

decision,"

ile you slept. They

hey di

not th

what

ect you if you keep walking straigh

thought of that before draggi

es. He stepped closer, voice

oesn't c

given you reasons

t you ad

hat, even now, with the room wrecked and secrets scattered everywhere, part of me remembered his hand on

a," he sa

d back.

ed. "Al

ttled me more th

ombed the grounds; Daniel monitored the camera

n Lucien strode into the dinin

"Good morning

've arranged a meeting wi

hy

one-sold years ago. But some record

p. "You're takin

es

"Why the su

and the key are all connected. I think

Why didn't you s

what your father

now about

w it e

d. "And you di

it was. But I knew

ng suspicious transfers. Your father helped him. After my dad died, th

pt Ad

pt Ad

Isabe

arker. "She got

e was marri

ething linking Adrian

rward. "Wha

away. "I d

"You expect me

looking for years, but neve

ght marrying

all. I pushed away m

tood. "V

follo

ore he cou

untouched. Daylight made her look older, more fragile. There were l

in. "I wondered how l

Did you go into the

sharpen

caught you carry

husband's security isn't

steal s

silent. I m

m. They left a note: 'She has it.'

Suddenly, she

u get that no

not im

t

swer my

our father gave me somet

rushed.

n. And the name of someone wh

ho

dre Dev

. "Lucien

es

my dad give

was working

the three names, and t

you inves

nies. At first, it looked like corporate fraud. Then we fou

ed. "You think Ad

he had

d y

found evidence tha

. "Is that why y

es

up your a

dened. "I ca

ria

ad the most to gain,

sabella what she took from your

father the nig

itated.

om wen

he al

es

e table. "Wh

ve me the info and told me to keep it sa

you call t

arance was fake, and I believed s

my father was alive fourteen years

tri

he

d out what ha

ot my

if she was being watched, and I didn't

ded. "'Her

oked right

uld ask, Lu

bounced b

, we need

our uncle is looking for the ledger, or that

urned to me. "We found s

ha

ilding, brass sign above the door: MO

her's

r. "Where did

compartment in my

the back: a date and an ad

the photo. "That's

odded. "

. "Then we need to get t

er. "You're not

on't get to boss m

Valentina at risk just b

both stop acting

on me. "We'll l

ed. "Wh

time to orga

the window. Someone behind my father, face blurred, but wearing a heavy silver ring w

h dropped

e I was loo

reflection. "Your

he realized. Isabella went still. Then s

her. "What d

dn't disappear after that photo w

. "That's imposs

nged on

ight. "Isabella, wh

hoto was taken six months after É

ther had been declared mi

graphed him alive

was right