Chapter 85

• Elara watched as he outlined his plan—carefully and methodically—his usual calm confidence replaced by an urgency she hadn’t seen in him before. His mind was working at full speed, already three steps ahead of everyone else in the room. He was always calculating, always in control. But now, there was an edge to him—a sense of protectiveness that cut through everything.
• “The moment we find a lead, we act,” he continued. “We won’t wait for them to make the next move. We’ll make it for them.”
• Elara’s heart fluttered in her chest. She had always known Vesper was a man of action, but hearing him speak like this, with such determination, made her realize just how far he was willing to go to protect what was his.