a Harri

eve's eyes, sharp and unforgiving, searched my face for a lie. She was a woman who understood

, and I needed to

noted the slight tremor in her fingers where they gripped the armrests, the unnatur

the academy on the East Coast, I studied under a Swiss nun who was a master of

omentarily derailed by confusion. "What do

pallor of your skin and the exhaustion you try so hard to hide. You suffer from palpi

r eyes widening slightly. I had hit the mark perfectly. My knowledge didn't come from a Swiss nun; it

o dedicate my time to your health. Formulating the proper herbal remedies and tinctures requires immense focus and care. I cannot, i

was replaced by a flicker of genuine surprise, followed by a guarded warmth. I

?" she asked, her voice l

and my honor,"

Clara vibrating with shock. My assistant knew I had never studied pharmacology, but she was smart enough to keep h

the scent of heavy French perfume and velvet,

s over the Persian rug. Rosa, her maid, flinched and pressed herself against the doorframe. "You told m

, Madam," Ro

ng. "And then she refuses the keys. A sixteen-year-old girl, handed the kingdom, and she turns it

ehow, that little bitch looked at this family and saw the rot. She knows th

h her. Every step she takes, every word she whispers to that assistant of hers

ling me inside my gilded cage. I let out a long, slow b

t with confusion. "Miss

d, moving to the vanit

e in the palm of your hand. The Harrison family would have benefited gr

e, Clara, the Gallo estate is a sinki

pping closer. "W

p massive losses from their illicit operations or being skimmed by their own people. The family coffers are empty.

ed as the reality

discipline. They are violating Omertà every single day with their arrogance. The Feds are probably already circling. If I take control now, I become the

confusion vanished, replaced by a deep, profound

corner," I said quietly. "We survive by stayi

"I understand, Boss. W

beautiful in the morning light, but I knew the truth. The fo