Page 47 of Scattered Glitter

They want to use her as bait.

A tool to get close to Harrington’s son.

I see the logic behind it. If she has the kind of charm and skill that could get her close, that’s something I could never do. And yet, it feels like a slap in the face, like I’m being sidelined, cast aside for something I can’t control.

“She could get into Veronica’s office and swipe her laptop,” Koen says simply as if he’s already mapped out the whole plan in his head.

Ezra shakes his head, crossing his arms. “I don’t think taking anything is a good idea.”

“No, we leave everything exactly where it is,” Sylus cuts in smoothly, his voice calm but carrying that spark of excitement he gets when something risky is on the table. “But Ilike the idea. She could get into their private rooms, give me access to their network.”

“And she could probably get close to Belmont, too,” Levi adds, leaning back in his chair with an easy grin. “If she can snag his master key card to the hotel, that would make our lives a hell of a lot easier.”

“I told you I’d get the RFID skimmer to work eventually,” Sylus says, a cocky edge in his voice. “I mean, I already hacked into the Plaza’s CCTV system and pulled the footage that nails Veronica. While I was in there, I got access to their security logs. Grabbing the code to pair with the skimmer is just a matter of time.”

“Sure, time,” Levi agrees. “Or a little charm and cleavage.”

Sylus lets out a sharp laugh, shaking his head. “Right. Because that’s a totally normal strategy.”

Levi shrugs, the grin still playing on his lips. “I’m simply saying… people get careless when there’s a pretty face involved. Especially Belmont.”

I don’t miss the way Sylus’s smirk falters, his gaze sharpening as it lands on Levi. “If we’re playingthatcard, we’d better make sure that girl is on board first. Not everyone is the type to enjoy being objectified.”

“She doesn’t need to enjoy it,” Koen says flatly. “She only needs to play the part.”

There it is, that hard edge in Koen’s voice, that makes my jaw tighten. Sylus catches it, too, because his eyes narrow. “Careful there, Koen. You’re talking about her as if she’s a tool, not a person.”

The room goes quiet. Levi, of course, is the first to break it, exhaling loudly as if the weight of it all doesn’t touch him. “Fine. Let’s call itstrategic asset utilization. Better?”

Sylus snorts, shaking his head, but the tightness in his jaw is still there. I glance at him, and his gaze flicks to mine.There’s something unspoken in his look—anger, maybe? Or frustration.

I don’t say anything, but the knot in my chest tightens. This whole thing is already starting to feel like a bad idea.

Across from me, Ezra shakes his head, skepticism written all over his face. “I can’t believe you’d trust a stranger with this.A thief.”

His words aren’t surprising. Ezra is a detective, and distrust runs in his veins. His disdain for my line of work has always been obvious. I’ve lived under the same roof with him for three years now, and I’m pretty sure he still doesn’t fully trust me, even after everything.

Koen leans back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. “We’ll keep an eye on her. She’s not going to run. She’s got her own motivations, and we’ve got leverage.”

I grind my teeth. “Leverage or not, you think she’s going to pull off something that even I’d have trouble with? Come on, you know I’m the best when it comes to this, and it’s not only about pickpocketing. It’s about reading people, blending in, being unseen.” I glare at Levi. “You think she’s going to be able to charm her way into Harrington’s inner circle?”

Levi shrugs, that playful grin still hanging on his lips. “She’s got potential. More than potential. And she won’t be alone. We’ll be there, pulling the strings.”

“Which is why we want you to train her.” Koen circles back to the point of this conversation. “Test her. See if she’s got what it takes.”

They wantmeto train her? To teach her everything I’ve spent years perfecting? I shake my head again, more adamant this time. “No. No way. I’m not going to babysit some random girl who’s probably going to get herself and all of us caught or even killed.”

“Come on, Ric.” Sylus turns to me, his expressionserious now. “If she’s got the potential Levi says she does, you could make sure she succeeds. She could be the key to pulling this off.”

I can’t ignore that it’s all a blow to my pride. “I’m not doing it.”

Koen doesn’t back down. “You’re the best person for the job, Ric.”

“I don’t care,” I snap again. “I’m not training anyone. If you want her to pull this off, she’ll have to do it alone, or you’ll have to find someone else.”

Levi leans back in his chair, his grin fading as he watches me closely. “You know you’re the only one who can assess if she’s actually good enough.”

“I said no.”

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