The call came from Alexander's contact three days later, urgent enough that Elena could hear the tension in his voice from across the room when Alexander answered the phone. She watched his face change as he listened, something tightening behind his eyes.
"When," Alexander said into the phone. "How sure are you." A pause. "Understood. Thank you."
He set the phone down slowly, and Elena stood, already reading the bad news in his posture before he said a word.
"What happened."
"He traced the man who came to the manor," Alexander said. "Same security firm as before. Whoever's been watching us has people actively working the ground now, not just sitting back collecting information from a distance."
"That's not the only thing, is it."
Alexander's jaw tightened. "There's a shareholder meet
