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Damn him. Judging by the slight quirk upwards at the corner of his mouth, he knew he was teasing her and didn’t feel an ounce of guilt over it. “It’s all so very hush-hush. Perhaps you could offer us a peek behind the curtain?”
The teasing smile turned charming and apologetic. Gods, the man was a natural in front of the camera. “I’m afraid that’s all still well above my paygrade, Ms. Ouranos.”
It was the perfect opening. “The negotiations next week with Antini, however, those are well within your duties as the head of the US Guild, correct?”
“Yes. As you know, the Libra Guild tends to be very involved with any kind of negotiations between countries.” His words were flirty and full of Libra charm. “We are the keepers of the peace, after all.”
“For good reason.” A quick smile of her own, just enough to let the audience know she was as charmed by him as they were. “But from what we’ve uncovered recently, it seems like maybe this transition hasn’t been as peaceful as you’d hoped?”
Cyrus sobered, sitting up straighter in his chair. “Unfortunately, no, it has not.”
“In fact, it’s my understanding that there are those who have a vested interest in seeing the trade negotiations with Antini fail. Is that right?”
“It is. The day I was sworn in, my brother, Adrian Banks, came to me and asked for a favor, as he called it.”
“What kind of favor?”
She wondered, briefly, if the cameras would pick up on the guilt and grief he was no longer trying to hide. “My brother asked me to sabotage the negotiations with Antini.”
Pausing just briefly enough to allow the audience time to absorb the full weight of what he’d said, Mina tilted her head a fraction to the side, let her brow furrow just a bit. All just enough to let the audience know she, too, was confused by this admission. “Why would anyone want to block trade with Antini?”
“Money,” he replied bluntly, his voice empty of emotion. “My father’s family has been smuggling goods into this country for generations. Most recently, with Madagascar still recovering from Hurricane Janine, vanilla beans have become increasingly difficult to procure through legal means. Which, in turn, has driven their black-market value through the roof.”
“And what does that mean for your family?”
“It means that opening up trade with Antini would wreak havoc on their bottom line. While they would be far from bankrupt, it would certainly put my parents and my brother in a tight position.”
“But not you?” Though her heart ached, she knew the question needed to be asked. “Don’t you benefit from your family’s wealth?”
“No.” Firm, direct, to the point. “I have not accepted a dime of my family’s money since I left college.”
“You mean, since you left law school, where you no doubt were made very aware of how illegal their business dealings were. And still, you allowed your parents to pay your way through college, to support you.”
Anyone else would have been sweating, but Cyrus simply inclined his head in silent, regal acknowledgment. “Yes. I don’t have any explanation other than they are my family. I don’t think anybody truly wants to believe the worst about the people who raised them and nurtured them, no matter how blinding the signs might be.”
“What about the home they purchased for you to the tune of,” she paused for effect, glancing down at the notes she held in her lap even though she could recite the numbers in her sleep, “six-point-three-five-million dollars?”
That caught him by surprise, and for a moment he froze, betrayal written all over his face. “It’s not something I’m proud of, Ms. Ouranos.”
“But you still accepted the gift,” she pushed, hating herself more than a little. “Right after you accepted a position with the district attorney’s office in the capital. The timing might make someone wonder what other ‘favors’ you’ve done for your family during your time as a prosecutor.”
“None.” He bit the word off, his body practically vibrating with righteous fury. But not so much that he came off as violent or explosive, which was exactly what the audience needed to see. That, unlike his brother, he was not the kind to lash out and hurt others when he didn’t get his way. “Whatever mistakes I’ve made with my family, none of that has ever touched my work as a prosecutor. I have never and would never betray the trust of my city that way. Every case I have ever tried has been completely above board.”
That wouldn’t keep defense attorneys from looking for some loophole to appeal convictions and push for retrials, but that was a problem for later. “Why have you chosen to come forward now? After all this time?”
Again, guilt and grief swam to the surface, but far more visibly this time. Even the greatest actor wouldn’t have been able to fake the raw, naked emotions on his face. It was exactly what she’d hoped for by stacking the questions the way she had. Catch him off guard with a question he hadn’t been expecting, then shove her finger into the open wound, so that when she asked the important questions, he was too off-kilter to hide his true reactions.
It had all played out beautifully, but she wasn’t sure she’d ever forgive herself for it.
“My brother…” Clearing his throat, Cyrus lifted his chin, defiant and proud. Hopefully the audience would see the defiance was aimed towards his family and not them. “My brother wanted to send me a message, so he had a woman killed. Gabrielle Lascher. He had her murdered, in cold blood, for no other reason than to scare me into complying with his demands.”
Now it was her grief, her guilt that was on display. “Why her?”
“Because she was important to you. And because you are important to me.”
Gods, how she wanted him to hold her. It was taking everything in her not to fall apart on camera, to keep going until they had everything they needed out of this interview. “And now? What happens next, counselor?”
“Right now, the FBI is moving in on my family. My parents, in New York, my brother here in DC. They will be arrested, their assets seized, and hopefully they will all go to prison for a very, very long time.”
