“Here, girls,” Leo calls.
Avira and Elowen step into the balcony.
“Are we going to shift to D.C.?” Wen asks.
Leo raises a brow. “Who told you that?”
Avira answers, “We heard Bruno and Mark talking about it when we went downstairs.”
“Nothing is confirmed yet,” Leo explains. “If everything stays peaceful, you won’t need to. But if not, then yes, you’ll move there.”
Their expressions fall.
I lean back in my chair, watching. “If you don’t want to shift, you can always stay with Ma and Pa.”
Their faces brighten instantly. But the happiness on my Dove’s face doesn’t linger. It flickers for only a moment, then fades.
She asks, “Will you also come to live with us?”
I shake my head.
“Then where will you live?”
“Leo and I will stay here to manage the businesses.” That’s the plan. I’ll take over Nexoil and Iron Veil, while Leo manages Velante Corp. For the first year, that’s all we’ll focus on. After that, we’ll start working directly with Uncle and Dad, taking our place beside the two most powerful men in the nation.
Her face brightens with hope. “Then we both could stay here with you.”
Leo shakes his head. “We’ll be traveling a lot. You both will either stay with our parents or with Ma and Pa.”
Wen pouts. “Why does that sound like an excuse? Why will you travel?”
“Next month we’re going to Russia. We’ll stay there for two months. After that, if our parents shift to D.C., we’ll have to travel between D.C. and here a lot for the next few years, at least until everything stabilizes.”
I stand. “It’s a conversation for another day. Nothing is confirmed yet.”
Walking back inside, I place the rifle and gun cases back in their spot.
Leo and Wen exchange good nights and leave.
Avira sits on my bed, clutching a pillow to her chest.
I sit down across from her. “Why are you making such a face?”
“I don’t want to live away from you.”
Neither do I. But I can’t say it aloud. Distance creates uncertainty, and uncertainty is a risk I refuse to take when it comes to her. Yet I also won’t let her stay here under compromised security, no matter how much I want her near me.
chapter 10
30 August 2047
Avira (16 years old)
A news highlight flashes across my desktop screen: ‘Loris Moir spotted with Nexoil’s MD, Zloban Bennett.’
My heart lodges in my throat. I click the article with a speed that doesn’t even feel human.
The image explodes on my screen. A tall, blonde, breathtaking woman wrapped around Zoan. Her arms looped over his neck, her body pressed against his. His face isn’t fully visible, but hers is, she’s smiling at him very sweetly.
