Leo sat in the Duke's office, his fingers tapping the polished table with growing irritation, each tap echoing his mounting frustration. Someone had played the Caulem family like pawns, and the trail was growing colder.
Alric stood by the window, his face grim, while Dian shifted uneasily, clutching a stack of reports.
Leo exhaled sharply, his voice tight. "What's the update on Marzella?"
"Our soldiers reached her daughter's house, but we were too late. She's dead, someone got to her first."
Leo's fist slammed the table, the wood creaking under the force. "Damn it," he muttered. He'd suspected someone was manipulating Maria, pulling strings from back, but he hadn't acted fast enough to secure Marzella. The loss of that lead stung, a misstep he couldn't afford.
He forced a steadying breath. "What about the dark guild search?"
