Aria woke with the weight of the previous night’s confrontation still pressing on her chest. Dante’s arm was heavy across her waist, his breathing deep and steady. The printed pages of Project Pawn lay scattered on the floor. She slipped from the bed quietly, pulling on a robe, and gathered the documents. The doubt hadn’t vanished. It had sharpened into something strategic.
She met Sofia in the private study an hour later. The older woman was already awake, a tablet in hand. “You look like you didn’t sleep. Dante’s decoy story is convenient. Too convenient.”
Aria set the documents on the desk. “I need proof either way. Marco’s the key. Those files came through him. If he’s playing both sides, we need to know who he’s really working for—Dante’s father, the European consortium, or someone
