Chapter 144: Destabilizing the Opposition Was an Important

Her weekend went well. Too well.

Lions Gate’s autumn and winter release party went smoothly. The guests had been excited about the new products and designs. Tori had been able to share some more information on Viclya for the coming months, as many guests invited to the release party had also visited the delta at least one during the summer.

The delta’s tourist season was ending, and Tori had to explain that the reason was mainly weather conditions. The late autumn and winter weather conditions along the coast weren’t ideal for tourists to stroll around in, so Tori and the village council decided it was best to close the shops catering to tourists and turn their focus on to development.

However, they were planning to start the tourist season at the next Spring Festival. Reservations for resort tents and dining would be available a month before, at Henrik’s travel agency, Lions Gate Travel, in the Fifth District. Notices would also be posted at all the Lions Gate stores, including Duel.

Ilyana had taken on most of the hostess duties for the release party. Henrik focused mainly on coordination and branding. The two had tried their best to relieve Tori of the burden of hosting the event as much as possible and she was grateful for their hard work.

After Tori had done a final inspection of the showroom floor and upper level, she went outside to formally greet the guests, and then lingered around chatting with them as they waited. Tori had occasionally checked on their other friends, who had come to support them and get free drinks from Cafe Lumiere, and Piers and Axton, who unofficially hosted guests in discussions on recent changes in the Chamber.

Tori had sat for a few minutes with them to gain some insight, as she was still planning to attend the joint Chamber sessions come the new year.

The only thing out of the ordinary, at least it should’ve been, was that Nanny Rey found that at least a half dozen people were watching Lions Gate. She’d observed each individual and found that they didn’t seem to have weapons, but were merely watching the release party intensely.

Tori wasn’t sure if they were trying to steal designs or ideas or simply keep track of her whereabouts. She supposed she was relatively high profile in Horizon at this point, so it wasn’t strange to have people watch her movements, but she still wanted to know who was watching.

Nanny Rey had disabled each individual watching, except one and then followed that person to their handler. Nanny Rey had returned in the evening to join them for dinner at the Three Queens and reported.

“He went into an alley and entered the back door of the Thorn and Rose in the fourth district.”

Tori had taken a deep breath and leaned back against her chair when she heard this. “So, we were watched by Nicole Neil.”

It wasn’t a secret that she had a hand in Axton’s inn’s renovations; however, the exact details of her involvement were purposely kept vague. She and Axton had made it common knowledge to the construction workers and renovators that she helped with the interior designs and suggested the new additions.

They didn’t advertise her work in the in-room comcrys.

As far as they both knew, such a thing was the first in its kind, and the convenience it made for guests added a lot of value to the inn. Tori and Instructor Ignatius had developed them specifically for Lunar Inn. Preparing the exact Old Sulfae to use to program the crystals was complicated and not easily replicated.

If someone wanted that technology, they’d need to either figure out the Old Sulfae themselves and design the programming system from scratch, or go directly to Tori. The combination of charms and crystals was a lost art. Tori would be their best resource.

If they knew Tori wasthe resource. This was kept hidden so as not to trouble her. She already had so much to do, she didn’t want to deal with trying to sell her crystal technology yet. Her goal was to make sure it was installed and commonplace in all of Axton’s properties and hers before going public.

By then, the programming, installation, and use should be much smoother, and they’d have less troubleshooting to deal with.

Regardless of the confidentiality, it was possible that someone theorized she was involved. She had expected that eventually, either Rosiek or Neil would come find her to get more information. She didn’t expect that she’d be under their surveillance so soon.

As of Lions Gate’s release party, the renovated Lunar Inns had only been reopened to the public for six days. This meant that someone had been watching the renovation and booked a room to study the changes as soon as it reopened.

Part of Tori had been a bit excited. To be watched so soon meant that the rival party couldn’t sit still and felt threatened by her work, which is what she wanted. Destabilizing the opposition was an important part of any battle.

And Nanny Rey had done her part to ensure that Neil, and possibly Rosiek, knew that Tori knew she was being watched, as five of the six people watching her were incapacitated and could not report back as expected.

This all brought Tori some glee, but life couldn’t always go smoothly.

As soon as Tori entered the homeroom class the next school day, Fabian was waiting by her desk, agitated and with a dark expression on his face. His hair was a bit tousled and there were noticeable bags under his eyes. She didn’t know how long he’d been waiting there, but she wondered how long he’d regretted the breakup once he found out she was Gideon’s new guard.

“Guevera, you tricked me!”

I expected many things, but this was not one of them. Tori didn’t shy away despite his murderous look and put her things on her desk. “How did I trick you, von Dorn?”

It was the first day of a long school week and she was too lazy to verbally spar with him.

He slammed his hand on her desk and glowered, leaning in towards her. Tori was about almost a head shorter than him, but as she was used to being towered over, she didn’t shrink back. After all, what could von Dorn do to her? She wasn’t afraid to get hit and wasn’t worried that he’d get away with doing so.

“You told me that I should rethink my position as Gideon’s personal knight to make me give up my position!”

Tori’s neutral face didn’t falter. “I told you to rethink your position so you could reaffirm your focus on it, not so you’d quit. That was all your doing, von Dorn. I didn’t make you quit.”

Hearing her say it only seemed to infuriate him further. His face reddened as he scowled. “I wouldn’t have quit if I had known you’d replace me!”

Tori tried not to look too exasperated. She jutted out her hip and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m not replacing you, as I’m only an on-campus guard, not a personal knight. And even if I were to replace you as a personal knight, it was not my decision. I was given the position by the Emperor. I didn’t volunteer for it. I didn’t even consider that Prince Gideon would have a guard assigned while on Lycée grounds.”

Fabian sneered and shook his head. “I find it hard to believe that you didn’t know.”

“Well, whether you believe it or not, a fact is a fact. If you want confirmation, you can request an audience with the Emperor to confirm that I was assigned the position.” Tori narrowed her eyes. “And while I may feel unqualified to be a personal knight, I am not helpless.” She smirked. “At least I can stop him from being hit in the face.”

“You-”

“Fabian, what are you doing?” Gideon’s voice spoke up behind them. He paused as he came down the stairs to get to his desk in front of Tori’s. His brows were furrowed as he looked at Fabian, confused. “Is something wrong?”

Fabian grit his teeth. “I didn’t know that she would be assigned as your guard.”

“I didn’t either,” Gideon said. His movements had slowed, and he stood beside his desk, looking from Fabian to Tori and back. “Father made the decision.”

“Are you all right with this?” Fabian snapped his head towards Gideon and Gideon jerked his head back with some surprise. He blinked and lowered his gaze, contemplating for a moment before nodding.

“Aside from Father, my brother and Axton also discussed her appointment with me.” Gideon lifted his head and met Fabian’s eyes. “So far, Guevara has been diligent in doing what is expected of her and the escort knights are satisfied with the arrangement.”

Tori nodded, satisfied with his answer even though he didn’t outrightly say that he was all right with the situation. “I’m his guard only when he is on campus. When he is outside of Lycée, the escort knights take responsibility for his safety.”

Fabian was still scowling. Gideon lifted a hand and put it on his shoulder.

“She is a Guevera and has the trust of my family,” Gideon said, trying to placate his former knight. “No matter our personal grudges, she has a duty.”

Fabian didn’t stop glaring at Tori even as Ilyana arrived with their breakfast pastries in hand. Ilyana slowed down as she reached her seat beside Tori and put the pastries on the desk first. She looked at the three of them, noting the tension, and seemed hesitant to speak.

“Von Dorn, no matter how much I dislike Prince Gideon, it is not enough for me to betray the imperial family and be lax in my responsibilities,” Tori said. She caught Gideon giving her a stunned expression at the word ‘dislike’. “Also keep in mind that Piers is very close to me, and Prince Gideon is his younger brother whom he cares about. If not for the duties placed upon me, I would still protect Prince Gideon as an extension of Piers. If you are concerned that I will not do my job properly, you are welcomed to continue guarding him whilst in Lycée. I will not stop you as long as your actions do not harm him.”

“Why would I harm him!?” Fabian nearly snarled at her and Ilyana gasped, lifting her hand to her chest before looking at Tori with worry.

Tori didn’t flinch. “I don’t know, von Dorn. What reason would you have to harm him?” Her deadpan tone seemed to make Fabian grind his teeth together. He lowered his shoulders and took a heaving breath.

“As long as I am in Lycée, I will also keep guard over Gideon.”

“Fabian, you don’t have to-”

“I need to,” Fabian said, turning to Gideon with a sour expression. “I know I gave up my position, but that doesn’t mean I want to leave you unprotected. If I can, even if it is in a minor capacity, I will ensure your safety where I can.”

Gideon’s eyes reddened and he nodded. He squeezed Fabian’s shoulders in acknowledgement. “Thank you, Fabian.”

“Additional eyes and hands are always welcomed,” Tori said. “However, you cannot lead him away without notifying me first and you must report the company he will be with. Even if he trusts you, we should be cautious of other parties.”

Fabian frowned deeper as he gave her another glare. “What do you think I’ll do to him, Guevera? I’ve known Gideon longer than you. I’ve been his knight since we were children! What do you think I’d do to harm him?”

“Maybe you wouldn’t do anything,” Tori replied with a shrug. “Maybe you would just stand there and do nothing. In some circumstances, no reaction is worse.”

A look of confusion crossed Gideon’s face. Fabian’s hands clenched at his sides.

“What’s going on? Fabian, why are you so upset?” Alessa seemed to appear out of nowhere. Her pale hand grasped onto Fabian’s sleeve and gave him a small pull back.

Tori raised a brow. Alessa’s entrance was quite convenient.

“There was a bit of an organizational change and Mr. von Dorn has some reservations about it,” Tori said as she took her seat. “We were just confirming the changes.”

Alessa looked confused and turned to Fabian, as if asking him to confirm Tori’s words. Fabian took another deep breath and nodded. He gave Alessa a gentle smile.

“I was just telling Guevera that I will continue to support Gideon,” he said, his voice calmer than earlier. “He’s still my friend, after all.”

Alessa’s face bloomed. She looked towards Gideon with a warm smile. “Fabian has been very worried about you. He doesn’t seem to know what to do with himself when you’re not with him.”

Tori tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. “Does von Dorn spend a lot of time with you?”

Fabian seemed to be suspicious of her sudden interest and gently moved Alessa to the side with one arm. He met Tori’s curious look with defense. “Who I spend my time with is none of your concern.”

Tori lifted her hands, her palms facing him to ward him off. “It’s not, so long as Prince Gideon is not with you. If he is, then I’m afraid it is my concern.”

Gideon looked towards Fabian with some distress. “Are you no longer going to the Sword Association?”

Fabian lowered his head and shook it. “I am no longer a knight. I don’t see the purpose of continuing practice.”

Gideon frowned at once. “Fabian, even if you’re not a personal knight, you can still join the imperial knights as a future career path. You’re one of the best swordsmen in this school; you can’t give it up!”

Fabian gave him a sad smile. “I have started to think that perhaps I am not meant to be a knight at all.”

Gideon’s eyes crinkled up and he shook his head in dismay. “But you’ve spent so long training....”

“There are other options available outside of being a knight that can make use of my sword ability,” Fabian said.

Alessa nodded. “There are escort guards that are often hired for trade route caravans, guards for stores, and even personal guards. My friend hires many guards for his company, either for his merchandise or when he travels. I’ve seen Fabian with a sword. He’s very skilled. I’m hoping to introduce them in a few days.”

A wry smile crossed Fabian’s face. “While this year’s tuition has been paid and I have some money saved up from being a personal knight, it will be exhausted once I pay for next year’s tuition.”

Tori furrowed her brows. Personal knights were paid a suitable amount if she used Axton’s pay as measurement.

“It must be difficult with your grandfather’s expenses,” Gideon said as he lowered his eyes. She wasn’t sure if he was guilty or sympathetic.

Fabian nodded once. “The old manor is still in need of repairs. I told him I wanted to go back after this year, but he insisted that I finish my education at Lycée.”

“A Lycée education will give you opportunities,” Gideon said. “I agree with your grandfather. Will you go stay with him during breaks?”

Fabian shook his head. He looked at Alessa with a fond smile. “I am hoping to be hired as a guard during breaks. The additional income would be good to have.”

Tori’s eyes crinkled up. Oh, this can’t be good.

Alessa beamed. “I am certain you will be hired, Fabian. Don’t worry about it! I will talk to Adrien if I need to.”

Gideon didn’t seem to know how to respond, but nodded. “If there is anything I can do, if you need a recommendation or anything of the sort, don’t hesitate to tell me.”

Fabian nodded. “Thank you, Gideon.”

Tori picked up one of the wrapped pastries that Ilyana had set on their desks and unwrapped it. “If we’re all settled here, everyone should return to their seats. It’s awkward to eat when people are standing next to you, staring.” She bit into her croissant and looked up at the two love interests and Alessa, bored.

Fabian glared at her once more before leading Alessa away by the elbow. Gideon let out a heavy sigh and watched them move to their seats at the front of the class.

Tori swallowed her piece of croissant. “If you want to return to your old seat, I’m not going to stop you. What is important is that I know where to find you if needed.”

Gideon stared at his friend and Alessa a moment longer. He lowered his head and turned around. He took his seat in front Tori.

“No, if I sit there, Alessa will try to speak to me, and I don’t want to continue being rude to her. Guthry is also nearby, and it seems he’s seen me as unpleasant as of late.” Gideon said the last sentence with a hint of bitterness.

Tori looked at Ilyana, who pursed her lips. She looked down at the breakfast pastries still on their desks. “Your Highness, I brought several pastries this morning. If you’d like one, please help yourself. Mr. Tobias dropped them off this morning from Cafe Fortuna.”

Gideon sat up straight. He turned his head to look at him with surprise on his face. His eyes moved to the several pastries wrapped in paper.

“Is this another peace offering?”

“Tori is taking care of you, and I support Tori,” Ilyana said as she lifted her chin, proud.

Tori smiled a bit and patted Ilyana’s head. “If you can’t find me or get a hold of me, go to Ilyana or the others; they may be able to find me first.” She paused and furrowed her brows. “Except for Sonia. Don’t ask Sonia for help.”

Gideon picked up one of the pastries and paused in the middle of unwrapping it. “Is she too busy?”

“No,” Ilyana said as she bit into a puff pastry with cream. “She just doesn’t like you.”

“Do I have to go?” Instructor Ignatius slumped forward with a clear look of dissatisfaction on his face as Tori told him. They sat around his worktable in the shade of the courtyard on Anahata Island.

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Master Ramos raised a brow in his direction and almost rolled his eyes. “Your student is going to do some crystal tests that she has been theorizing on for months. As one of her masters, you should accompany her to such an important test.”

Tori nodded, unable to help pouting a bit that her first crystal teacher didn’t want to come. Instructor Ignatius shifted awkwardly in his seat.

“It isn’t that I don’t want to go with her. Of course, I want to be present for her experiment....”

“Then what is the problem?” Master Ramos asked sharply. He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t tell me you are avoiding returning to Horizon.”

Instructor Ignatius shrank back guiltily, and Tori frowned. “Instructor, are you really avoiding returning to Horizon?”

“It’s not Horizon that I’m avoiding....”

“Is it Senior’s ex-girlfriend?” Mr. Holloway, one of the two crystal masters they had hired on, spoke up from where he was working on a scaled down test elevator shaft with Miss Hansen.

Instructor Ignatius snapped his head in their direction and glared. “I didn’t hire you to talk of irrelevant matters, Ted.”

“Sorry, Senior!”

Tori let out a small snicker and grinned. “Instructor Ignatius, is your ex-girlfriend in Université?”

“No, she works as a clerk for the city’s Commerce Authority,” he replied, avoiding her eyes.

“That’s in the First District!” Master Ramos couldn’t help but scold him. “Université is in the Seventh District - the Academic Quarter. That’s across the city. What are the chances that you will encounter her if you go to Université for one day?”

Instructor Ignatius looked at them, unconvinced. “Countess Tori’s experiment will be multiple days. If we go, I’d have to stay at home for that period.”

Both Master Ramos and Tori squinted at him, as if he were speaking in riddles. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Senior’s familial home is in the First District!”

“Shut up, Ted!”

Tori let out a heavy breath and ran her hand down her face. “If you’re worried about going back to the First District, I can ask the drivers if you can stay in the rental flat, too.”

“What rental flat?”

“I rented out the ground floor living quarters of a large house across from Université. It’s where the drivers stay while we’re in Lycée. Master Ramos will also be staying at that house,” Tori said. She watched her instructor visibly relax. His face seemed to lighten up and he smiled.

“If that’s the case, then I have no problem with going.”

“Can we come, too?” Miss Hansen said, looking over the experiment with eager eyes. “We’re alumni of Université. We’ll have access.”

Master Ramos shook his head. “The inner vaults are restricted. At most, you can peruse the main collections.”

Instructor Ignatius looked at Tori with awe. “I don’t know how you were able to gain access to Université’s restricted vaults. Normal alumni are not allowed to enter without prior authorization and even then, we must be escorted by the vault keeper with limited time within.”

“I was told you couldn’t remove anything from the vault, either” Mr. Holloway said. “How did you get authorization, my lady?”

Tori avoided their eyes and looked back through the magnifying glass mounted above a crystal she was carving. “I sold my soul.” She pulled down her safety glasses and picked up the engraving tool in her hand.

The crystal masters around her chuckled and Tori continued to carefully scrape Old Sulfae. She really wanted some sort of automated precision grinder, but such a thing didn’t exist.

Before she left that weekend, she wanted to have multiple pieces of black tourmaline engraved for her tests. Her leather gloves, smock, and hood with a glass window and air crystals for purifying air had already been prepared at Daybreak Garden, along with some tongs and a bowl with special crystals to filter the water when she washed the tongs.

The quartz plate she’d be doing her experiment on was ready and carved.

Now that the Emperor has arranged for her to have unrestricted access to Université’s inner vaults and collections, Tori could proceed with registering the various poisons and toxins collected in the research facility onto a crystal for detection. The Emperor had discussed and argued with the various department heads and vault keepers for nearly an hour until they agreed to give her unrestricted access, as well as allow her to be escorted by her masters for supervision.

The heads of Université weren’t happy with the Emperor’s sudden imperial order or the fact that Tori was only a Lycée student who wanted to do an experiment. The Emperor had mentioned Master Ramos several times to gain some recognition and trust.

Of the favors that Tori asked for in exchange for being Gideon’s guard, unrestricted access to all of Université’s collections, including the restricted ones, was the only favor that didn’t involve money.

Tori needed it for time.

Creating a ring for Piers that could be discreetly worn and alert him of tampered food, contaminated air or surfaces would be useful. She was sure that those watching the empire closely would identify Piers as the crown prince before it was formally announced. He was too much of a target, and poisoning him was high on the list of ways to assassinate him. There were simply some things she and Axton couldn’t protect Piers from with swords and words alone.

If it worked, she could perhaps sell it to the imperial family for money. Charms testing for poison weren’t subtle and were one time use. Having a piece of jewelry was much more efficient. Axton had also told her that food testing charms were created in bulk and didn’t keep up with any newly discovered toxins.

If Tori’s project worked the way she wanted, any crystals she had registered to the master crystal could be updated remotely as long as the new toxin was registered with the master crystal. She had tried this using different seafood and it worked so far.

It was just that the real items she needed to register were dangerous and in some cases, she couldn’t be around them for long. Every safety precaution she could think of needed to be in place and where she was missing information, she had to depend on Master Ramos or the vault keepers.

“When are we going?” Instructor Ignatius said as he watched her carve.

“After our midterms. My second carriage, SIG Two, will bring you to the Academic Quarter. Dean Zanuto requested to interview me first, and you two should be present as my masters. He wishes to review my experiment. He can’t stop us from doing it, as the Emperor gave an order, but there is no need for me to be rude about it.”

“If you are able to get the support of the deans, then it will make your future experiments much smoother.” Master Ramos agreed with a nod. “Be sure to bring your findings with your tests with seafood. If he knows that you have prior experience and that this works, he will likely be more accepting of the situation.”

“Yes, Master Ramos.”

“The poison gas from the minerals at the cabin must’ve really shaken you,” Instructor Ignatius said with a helpless expression. “It was good that you had Kasen’s charms to assist you.”

Tori nodded. Since she had woken up in Presidio two years ago, Kasen had been her guiding light in nearly everything. Sebastian told her that Kasen wasn’t a patient man, but he had been so when he was essentially re-introducing her to Soleil. Kasen never got annoyed. He didn’t get angry at her.

He worried a lot and was clearly disappointed by her taste in men, but when it came down to it, he would support her. OG Victoria loved Sebastian the most of her brothers, but Tori loved Kasen the tiniest bit more. Not that Sebastian would believe her.

For a moment, she wondered what she would do if something happened to her brothers. She knew what her brothers would do if something happened to her, but she was at a loss as to what she’d do if one of her brothers was hurt. Depending on the situation, there was a high possibility her reaction would not be minor in the least.

She finished the Old Sulfae in one crystal and began to turn the clamp to release it. After spinning the lever once, she saw her comcry light up beside her tools.

Tori put her craving tool that she was still holding on the table and reached for her comcry as she loosened the clamp. Henrik’s name appeared on the crystal, and she cocked her head to the side. He didn’t come with her that weekend. The opening for Duel was less than two months away and he was overseeing the final details. In the coming weekends until Duel opened, he’d stay in Horizon to train some employees.

She slid off her stool and walked further away so as not to bother the others with her conversation.

“Hi, Henrik,” she said as she slid her finger across the crystal.

“Hi, has my father called you?” Henrik's usual unimpressed voice had a hint of urgency in it.

She pursed her lips and furrowed her brows. “No. Why? Did he need something?”

“It isn’t that he needs something, but he may ask for a favor,” Henrik said, his voice lowering a bit. “Annika asked if we have any part time job openings.”

Tori drew her head back. Henrik and his sister weren’t close by any means. They didn’t dislike each other; it was more that they acted as strangers in two separate spheres.

“I thought she was only working during her breaks.”

“I thought so, too, but she had arranged with the wine store to allow her to work part time, on weekends. She’s been working there on the weekends since school started.”

“If she asked to work part time, then she probably liked working there. Has something changed?”

“She didn’t say,” Henrik said with some disapproval. “She suddenly asked me if we had any part time positions.”

Tori lowered her eyes and kicked the ground distractedly. “Lions Gate doesn’t need any more employees and we’ve already finished the hiring for Duel.”

She heard Henrik take a deep breath and exhale loudly. “She didn’t ask for a part time position at Lions Gate or Duel.”

Tori jerked her head back and wrinkled her nose. “She wants to come and work all the way in Viclya?”

“She asked for work at the Lunar Pavilion.”

Tori stopped moving. She held her breath as she wrapped her head around that statement. Her eyes narrowed. “We haven’t advertised the Lunar Pavilion yet. The structural assessments and renovation plans are still being finalized for approval. There are very few people who know what we’re planning for it. Did you tell her?”

“No.” Henrik sounded irate. “I haven’t told my parents about it, either. You said you didn’t want to attract attention to it yet as you just purchased it.”

“Maybe she overheard us talking?”

“When?” Henrik almost scoffed. “Annika is hardly at home when I’m at home. Aside from passing her a few times on her way out, I’ve hardly seen her.”

“Then, how did she know about the Lunar Pavilion?” Tori asked. It was more to herself than to Henrik. “The only guild members who know about it right now are the masonry and carpentry guild masters. They’ve also agreed to keep the extent of the project quiet.”

“What about the surveyors and inspectors?”

“They don’t know what we’re doing to it. They think we’re only restoring the aged and damaged portions of the palace. The imperial architects I asked for from the Emperor to assist in the design so as not to damage the building answer to the imperial family and are tight lipped.”

“You and Duke Alvere also filed the necessary paperwork for doing business at that property. Anyone can look up your registration.”

Tori frowned and glared at the ground. “Did she ask about a particular position?”

“No. She only asked for part time work there.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her there aren’t any. I also asked where she heard about it and she said she heard me talk about it, but unless she was eavesdropping without me knowing, then it’s impossible. In addition, we haven’t talked about specific details for shops, as you don’t yet know how you can space the ground floor.”

Tori let out a heavy breath. “Did you call because you’re worried your father may ask for a job on her behalf.”

“Yes. My parents don’t force my sister and I to be in a close relationship, but that isn’t to say they don’t wish for it. I’m always being compared to Ewan or JP and Sonia. They’d love for me to be close to Annika. They say we act more like step siblings than we do real ones.”

“To be fair, JP and Sonia are twins, and Ewan is the youngest and was given a lot of attention by his older siblings,” Tori said. “But I can see why they’d want you two to get along. If one day your parents are no longer there, they want you two to be able to depend on or support each other.”

“And that’s fine, but I don’t want my personal matters to negatively affect you or Lions Gate. If my father calls you asking to give Annika a job, tell him no,” Henrik told her firmly.

“I’ll have to anyway. As you said, there aren’t any jobs. There won’t be for some time,” Tori said. “But this still doesn’t answer the question of why she asked to begin with. She wasn’t fired from her job, was she?”

“No. When she asked me, she was on her way to her part time job.” With each word, Henrik sounded increasingly affronted. “It’s strange. She’s never asked me for a job before. Not with Lions Gate or Duel. She has always kept her business separate from mine.”

Tori chewed her lower lip for a moment. “Where did you say she currently worked?”

“At a wine store....” Henrik trailed off and she heard him let out a low breath. “A wine store owned by the Golden Cow.”

Tori cracked a small, bitter smile. “It looks like we’re being watched, Henrik. Watched far more intensely than I initially thought.”

“I can’t believe this....” Henrik’s voice was tight. “I know we’re not close, but to try to gather information for our rival?”

“Does Annika know that we have some...grievances with the Cow Man and his company?”

“I think so.”

“If you’re not sure, ignore it. We’ve rejected your sister’s request. Make sure to speak to the hiring managers at all our locations to ensure that she is banned so she isn’t hired at any of our stores. It’s a bit much, I know.”

“No, I agree. This is too much of a coincidence.”

“Henrik, if there is a chance that your sister is being asked or coerced to do this, we need to be cautious around her. Maybe even your parents.” She couldn’t help the guilt at her last few words. She liked Henrik’s parents and they were always very kind to her.

“I also understand. If she has a question or request, my parents will answer or oblige if they can, without a second thought. It’s easy for sensitive information to slip through with a few careless words. If she is being forced into this, she can’t get much out of me. I don’t even keep copies of our business paperwork at home.”

Tori knit her brows together once more. “You don’t? Then where do you keep it?”

“Over the summer, it was with me at the delta, but for some time, I’ve kept the important documents at 905-88 Rue Université, Seventh District.” She could almost hear the smug smile in his voice.

Tori’s eyes widened. “Piers’ house?”

Henrik chuckled. “Where else would be a safe place to keep our paperwork, but a heavily guarded private residence of a prince who is essentially our backer?”

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