Simon arrived at the restaurant first. The place was dimly lit, quiet, tucked behind a line of old acacia trees, a spot Christoph Richter preferred for meetings that needed silence, privacy, and walls thick enough to keep secrets from leaking.
Christoph was already seated, reviewing documents with the same precision surgeons reserved for arteries. He looked up when Simon approached, a faint curve at the corner of his mouth.
“So,” Christoph said, closing the folder neatly. “Married.”
Simon gave a curt nod. “Told you it will be done.”
Richter studied him for a moment, eyes narrowing with something like amusement. “I admit, I did not expect this outcome. And frankly, I am impressed. You stepped in like some knight in shining armor.”
Simon’s expression did not shift. “I do not rescue peop
