(Ashley’s Point of View)
The knowledge Kathie gave me settles not like a weight, but like a sheet of ice forming over my soul. He’s the bank. He’s the fortress. The words reverberate in the quiet of the studio. My mission, which had felt so clear and righteous just hours ago in Martins’ office, now feels impossibly vast, terrifyingly complex. It’s one thing to hunt a man; it’s another to attempt to dismantle his invisible, international empire of shadows and secrets. The fear that follows this revelation is a different kind of fear. It’s colder, sharper. This is no longer a personal vendetta. It’s a war against a sovereign power, and Kathie, Martins, and I are a rebel alliance of three.
I stare at the muslin mock-up of Nicole’s dress. It looks laughably inadequate now, a weapon of sil
