Sebastian turned back to Noah's screens. Stared at Marcel's signature. At months of betrayal documented in cold data and colder proof.
“I trusted him,” Sebastian said. So quiet I almost missed it. “When she died, he was there. He held me while I cried. Promised he'dprotect me. Promised he'd help find who killed her.” His voice broke. “And all along, he was planning to kill me too.”
I moved closer. Close enough to feel his pain radiating like heat. Close enough to want to touch him and knowing I couldn't. Not here. Not in front of everyone.
“We stop him,” I said. Voice low. Firm. “We get more proof. We expose him. We destroy him.”
“How?” Sebastian looked at me. Eyes red-rimmed. Raw. Wrecked. “How do we prove this to my father? Marcel's his oldest friend. The person he trusts most in the world. He'll think we're lying. That we fabricated evidence. That we're trying to drive a wedge between them.”
“We get physical proof,” Dom said. “Documents he can't claim are fake. Evidence he can't explain away.”
“His office,” I said. Idea forming. “Tomorrow night. We hit two targets simultaneously.”
Everyone turned to look at me.
I pulled up a map of London's industrial district. “Shipment moves from the docks at twenty-three hundred tomorrow. Four trucks. Armed escort. They'll take the M25 to avoid city cameras.”
My finger traced the route. “We hit them here. Service road near the Thames. Isolated. No civilians. We disable the escort. Secure the cargo. Document everything.”
“And while you're doing that?” Adrian prompted.
“Sebastian and Dom search Marcel's office.” I looked at Sebastian. “Physical evidence. Documents. Communication records. Things he can't delete remotely or claim are fabricated.”
“I can get us in,” Dom said. “Palace security knows me. I've been doing rotation with the royal guard all week.”
“You have?” Sebastian asked.
“Adrian's orders. Backup in case Viktor got himself killed doing something stupid.” Dom's mouth twitched. “Like falling in love with his principal.”
“Fuck off,” I muttered.
But Sebastian was already studying the map. I could see his mindworking. Processing. “Marcel's office has a safe. Behind the bookshelf. I've seen him use it.”
“Can you crack it?” Adrian asked.
Sebastian's laugh was dark. Sharp. “I've been breaking into palace offices since I was sixteen. His safe is a joke.”
“Team for the shipment?” Dom asked.
“You're with Sebastian,” I said. “Troy, Dmitri, and I hit the docks. Luka's people on cleanup.”
“Wait.” Sebastian looked at me. “You're not taking me to the shipment?”
“No.”
“Viktor—”
“Listen to me.” I turned to face him fully. Ignored everyone else in the room. “This is not about your skills. You're better with a bow than half my team is with rifles. You move like violence is your first language. I know what you can do.”
His jaw tightened. Waiting.
“But Marcel knows too,” I continued. Voice dropping. Intimate despite the audience. “He knows you sneak out. Knows you fight. Has probably been tracking your activities for months. If you're on that operation and something goes wrong, he gets exactly what he wants. Dead prince. Case closed. He wins everything.”
Sebastian's breath caught. Understanding and fury warring across his face.
“The office is safer?” he asked. But he already knew the answer.
“The office is smarter,” I said. “Gets us evidence that matters. Physical proof your father can't dismiss. And keeps you out of the one scenario where Marcel achieves his endgame.”
