Page 127 of The Art of Ruin

Public embarrassment.

To make people ask questions, to cause doubt in our abilities and make our partners lose faith in us.

Even clean businesses bleed when suspicion gets attached to them long enough.

Whoever orchestrated this understands that.

Which means Jasper is either smarter than I gave him credit for, or someone smarter is advising him.

Neither possibility improves my mood.

One of the agents approaches again. “We’ll also need access to your shipping records from the last six months.”

“You’ll have them,” I say evenly. “Along with the apology you’ll eventually issue when this turns into nothing.”

He doesn’t respond to that; he just smirks. “We’ll be taking your computers too.”

I grind my teeth and fight the urge to punch his over-white teeth down his throat. “Fine.”

The search lasts nearly two hours.

Two hours of employees standing around looking nervous, while fear hangs through the building like smoke.

Two hours of agents opening rooms, reviewing manifests, questioning department heads who shouldn’t have to defend themselves against accusations built on fabricated intelligence.

Two hours of my brothers getting progressively closer to homicide.

And then—

nothing.

Of course.

Because there’s nothing to find.

The lead agent approaches again near the end, expression noticeably tighter now. “We’re done here.”

Matteo lets out a sharp laugh from near the windows. “That’s disappointing. I was hoping for a dramatic reveal.”

“Sir—”

“No, go ahead,” Matteo continues. “Check under the desks next. Maybe the missiles are hidden in accounting.”

“Enough,” I say before this turns into an actual incident.

Matteo exhales sharply through his nose but falls silent.

The agents leave with stiff professionalism and absolutely no evidence.

The second the elevator doors close behind them, the office erupts.

Voices outside the glass walls rise immediately, overlapping questions and nervous conversation spilling through the department floor.

Matteo turns violently toward the desk, shoving both hands against it. “I’m going to kill him.”

“No, you’re not,” Nico replies.

“I’m serious.”