Page 205 of Their Arrangement

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I looked at Wolfe.

Then at Royal.

Then back at Barron.

“I didn’t choose this. I didn’t invite it. And I sure as hell didn’t deserve it.”

That silenced the room.

Even Barron.

“She didn’t ask for what happened,” Wolfe said.

His voice was low.

But final.

“And if anyone wants to make her explain it again—they’ll answer to me.”

No one spoke after that.

Not for a long moment.

Barron turned. Faced the window. Didn’t say another word. But I knew this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

31

WOLFE

The garage was shadowedand cold. Concrete sweat in the air. Lights low. Mason stood next to the back wall, arms crossed, tablet in hand. His expression didn’t shift when I stepped into view. He just held out the tablet.

“You’re going to want to see this.”

I didn’t respond.

I took it.

And the second I saw the routing code—Belgium, under a security consulting front tied to diamond infrastructure—I knew this wasn’t about Cloe.

Not directly.

Someone used her to make a point. To get my attention.

They succeeded.

“It’s a ghost corp,” Mason said. “Looks like a front through a diamond customs shell near Antwerp.”

I scrolled. Every account tied to a private money trail. Moved fast. Moved clean. Too clean.

“Military-trained subcontractor took the job,” Mason added. “No direct employer. All offshore. This wasplanned.”

I nodded once. Didn’t say anything for a moment.

“She was followed,” I said eventually. “This wasn’t a mistake.”

“No. Someone knew she was yours.”

I handed the tablet back. My jaw was already tight enough to ache.

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