Chapter 43
Amelia
The first day of the summit was finally here.
We arrived at the summit compound just after dusk, the final stretch of the secured convoy winding through steep mountain roads and thick Silverpine forest. The air smelled like pine and stone and frost, even though it was technically spring. The further we got from the capital, the quieter it became-until the noise of the outside
world disappeared entirely.
It took three hours from the city, but the last one felt like five. Convoy speed restrictions, layered checkpoint
protocols, perimeter scans every fifteen minutes. No one said it aloud, but we all knew why it was so strict. This
wasn’t just about diplomacy-it was about deterring enemies.
The compound itself sat low and fortified, blending into the ridgeline like it had grown there. Cold concrete
corridors, mirrored security glass, the faint buzz of energy shielding layered around the property. The
architecture was practical and imposing, with zero regard for comfort or charm. Every hallway echoed like it
was keeping secrets.
Sleeping arrangements had already been set by the time we arrived. Council aides and general staff were
assigned to the central residence hall-bland, efficient, shared common areas and rotating security passes.
But I wasn’t going there.
Instead, I was assigned to a high-security suite in the west wing. Adjoined to Richard’s.
Technically, that adjoining suite was meant for the Beta. But Nathan had quietly agreed to trade with me after
the healer’s recommendation came through. Only four people knew about the switch: me, Richard, Nathan, and
Simon. Emma knew too, but Richard didn’t know she did-and I wasn’t planning to tell him.
On paper, it was for practical reasons-healing support, contingency planning, quick response. It was all true.
His condition had improved significantly with me nearby, and Simon had emphasized more than once that
distance wasn’t just inconvenient anymore-it was dangerous. I’d been the one to push for it when the scans
came back unstable. Richard resisted at first, said it might not be appropriate. But in the end, we both knew
there wasn’t a choice.
Still, secrecy mattered. We agreed not to use the external door unless absolutely necessary. Richard would never
step foot in my side of the suite. I would leave at odd hours, use alternate corridors, keep my badge visible, my
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posture neutral. I’d pretend like my room was just a workspace, nothing more. It would be a weekend of
calculated movements and careful silence.
No one here was stupid. But as long as we played our parts exactly right, maybe no one would ask. Maybe no one
would look too closely.
Because we both knew what it would look like if they did.
And the kiss hadn’t helped.
I tried not to let it get to me. Tried to remind myself that my work had earned me this placement. That Richard’s
recovery depended on proximity. That I had done nothing wrong.
But as we stepped into the cold-lit halls of the west wing, I couldn’t shake the feeling that every glance that landed on me had a silent question behind it.
My bag was already inside when I arrived. The butler had been efficient. Too efficient. I got the sense he didn’t
like me much. That maybe he knew the blue leather bag hadn’t belonged to Nathan.
David, Richard’s biggest rival, arrived just after the first strategy brief. I caught sight of him from the overlook
above the courtyard-his signature coat, that unreadable smile. A chill crawled down my spine before I even
saw who was behind him.
Jason.
I didn’t freeze this time. I turned, kept walking, but my pulse thundered in my ears.
I hadn’t seen Jason since the day he was removed. Since the day Richard’s voice had gone cold with fury and
mine had nearly broken from the weight of what was said.
He hadn’t just disappeared-he’d defected. Rumors said he went to David within days, spilling everything he knew: passwords, routines, interpersonal dynamics. Selling off bits of our world to the highest bidder. A traitor, through and through. He traded loyalty for leverage, security for a seat at David’s table, and now he stood here,
smug and untouchable, acting like he hadn’t betrayed us all.
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