My hands won’t stop shaking as I stare at Sarah’s envelope. Behind me, Sonia’s breath catches—a small sound that somehow drowns out even the relentless ticking of the grandfather clock. Two hours and thirty-three minutes left, and now this.
“Sir?” my security chief prompts.
“There’s more. The Paris police report mentions blood in Ms. Sarah’s hotel room. And—”
“That’s enough.” The envelope feels like it weighs a thousand pounds. “Get our jet ready. I want wheels up in thirty minutes.”
“Alex, no!” Sonia grabs my arm, spinning me to face her. “You can’t go to Paris. It’s exactly what they want. James already tried to kill you twice, and now with Dupont involved—”
“I don’t have a choice!” The words explode out of me before I can stop them. The fear I’ve been trying to contain se
