"Lois, sorry to intrude. The Godfather and I have the Sicily gemstone mine transfer meeting this morning. He told me to come to the Castle for breakfast first so we could leave together."
My gaze locked onto the silver badge in her hand. It bore the Castle's exclusive crest. An all-access pass, identical to the one I held. The highest-level credential in the entire estate, issued only to the Godfather's most trusted inner circle.
My fingers tightened around my teacup until my knuckles went white. I said nothing.
Samuel noticed something was off. He stood quickly, moved to my side, and leaned in close, his voice low and tinged with a barely perceptible edge of panic.
"Lois, don't misunderstand. Selene is our family's most important jewelry partner and the person I trust most. It's perfectly normal for her to have an all-access badge for the Castle."
Before he'd even finished speaking, something seemed to occur to him. He tensed, rose abruptly, and strode to Selene's side. In one swift motion, he snatched the cup of espresso she'd just poured.