Chapter : The Fall of Kings

The moment I stepped into the gala, I could feel the air shift.

Not just because the chandeliers above dripped with gold or because the room was a sea of silk and black tuxedos—but because I carried something no one else had.

Truth.

I clutched the silver briefcase in my hand like a lifeline. Inside it: the ledger, the recordings, my father’s last act of defiance. Everything we needed to bring the Kingmaker to his knees.

Lucien stood beside me, dark and devastating in a suit tailored like armor. His fingers brushed mine briefly—just enough to anchor me without drawing attention. The room wasn’t...