The please surprises both of us. She stares at me for a moment, then slowly sinks back into the chair. She’s still on the edge, but at least she’s sitting.
“I don’t think you were involved,” I admit. The words taste strange in my mouth. This might be the first non-hostile thing I’ve said to her since the wedding. “You’re right. You were a target too. But I had to ask.”
She nods slowly, not taking her eyes off me, like she’s trying to figure out if this is a trap.
Smart girl.
“Someone on the inside gave up that information,” I continue. “Someone from my side or yours. And I need to figure out who before they try again.”
She blanches. “Tryagain?” Her eyes dart around the room. “You think they’ll?—”
“Yes.” I don’t sugar-coat it. “Whoever orchestrated this won’t stop just because the first attempt failed. They’ll regroup. Plan better. And next time, we might not be so lucky.”
She’s quiet for a moment, biting her lower lip. I do my best not to watch the movement. “What do you need from me?”
The question surprises me. “Huh?”
“You said you need to figure out who did this. What do you need from me to help?”
I lean forward, resting my forearms on my desk. “Information. About your family. Your father, your uncle, anyone in their inner circle. Have you noticed anything unusual? Any meetings that seemed off? Conversations that stopped when you entered the room? Anything that felt wrong?”
She thinks about it, her brow furrowed in concentration. It’s the first time I’ve seen her truly focused on something other than her own survival.
“My uncle Marcus,” she says slowly. “He’s been... I don’t know. Smug? Since the wedding. Like he’s pleased with how everything turned out. And at the meeting yesterday, before the shooting, he looked almost... satisfied? Like he was waiting for something.”
My hands curl into fists on the desk. Marcus Ashford. Of course he’d be involved in this.
“What else?” I prod.
“I don’t know.” She shakes her head, shrugging. “I haven’t exactly been privy to family business since…” She gestures vaguely between us. “Since this. They don’t trust me anymore. I’m a Volkov now, remember?”
The bitterness in her voice is unmistakable and deserved.
“What about before the wedding?” I press. “In the days leading up to it? Did your father have any unusual meetings? Take any calls that seemed important?”
She thinks about it. “There were a lot of calls,” she admits, tapping a slim finger against her thigh. I track the movement. “A lot of closed-door meetings. But that’s not unusual for familybusiness, is it? Most of it was probably about negotiating the terms with your uncle.”
I startle. “With Konstantin?”
She nods. “Yes. He and my father spoke several times. They worked out all the details of the arrangement.” She pauses. “I overheard my father say once that your uncle was very... determined to make it happen quickly. Like he wanted it finalized before anyone could change their minds.”
I nod. That sounds like Konstantin. Once he decides on a strategy, he commits fully. It’s one of the things that makes him such an effective advisor.
“Anything else?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “Not that I can think of. But if I remember something, I’ll tell you.”
We sit in silence for a moment. This is the longest civil conversation we’ve ever had. It’s the first time we’ve worked together instead of against each other.
It feels strange. Wrong in some ways. But also... right?
“I still need more information,” I say finally. “About your family. Their patterns, their relationships, how they operate. Things I can’t learn from surveillance or intelligence reports.”
She looks at me warily, brown eyes narrowing. “What are you asking?”
“I’m asking you to help me understand them.” I lean forward slightly, watching as a strand of her auburn hair slides down her shoulder. “You grew up in that world. You know how your father thinks, how your uncle operates, what their tells are whenthey’re lying or hiding something. That’s information I can’t get anywhere else.”
Her eyes widen and her mouth drops open. “You want me to betray my family?” she asks sharply. “When you know as well as I do that loyalty is the highest currency in this world?”
