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“Katerina.”

It equally unsettled my stomach as it emphasized my intrigue with each meeting.

“Alek.”

“Thank you for joining me,” I said, my jaw clenching as I was met with silence. Tristan was held back by Sonia to review procedures with the new guardians after the replacement period. Yet it didn’t stop his voice from echoing beneath my skull.

You concentrate on amending your relationship with her.

My eyes traveled to the darkness underneath hers, his words ringing again.

Those dark bags under her eyes are comparable to yours, actually.

“Ms. Eli, are you tired?”

Her glare narrowed as she rolled her neck. “Are you implying that I look bad?”

I immediately shook my head. “My apologies, Ms. Eli. It wasn’t my intention to refer to it in that manner—”

Suddenly, a grin decorated her worn-out expression. “It was a joke.”

The intrigue swarmed amongst other feelings I couldn’t quite pinpoint. One that had once weighed as light as a feather within my body and now evolved to an overwhelming tension.

“And it’s Katerina.” She rested her back against the wall as she crossed her arms across her chest. “Unless you want to keep it on a title basis.”

I pressed my lips into a line as I nodded. “Katerina.” My throat swelled as I cleared it and said, “I want to clarify one vital detail to retrieve the notebook. It concerns the scheme my brother had enacted.”

“What is it?”

“Kaleb wants you to fall for me.”

“You can’t be serious.” She huffed a laugh as her lips twitched and her eyes altered to an icy hue.

Heat collected in my cheeks as the silence settled between us.

Ms. Eli’s mouth hung open, and then she chuckled. “You’re actually serious?”

“As one can be.”

“But—” She shook her head. “How is that reasonable?”

“It’s not,” I responded. “A scheme doesn’t have to be reasonable to be effective.”

“And how were you going to accomplish that?”

“I wasn’t. That’s why I abandoned such an idea and created my own directives.” Her shoulders straightened, and I continued, “But my brother still believes this scheme is being upheld. To successfully acquire the notebook, we must play our roles accordingly.”

“So, what? You want me to pretend to like you while you go about and steal the notebook?”

“You’re partially correct.” I had yet to prove to her that I was unlike my brothers, the trust between us a glint that had yet to spark. I could distinguish it in the way she observed me, distanced and wary. Her questions were meticulous, and it was vital to answer all of them.

“The plan has yet to be set in stone, but I can assure you that you won’t be alone throughout this process. We’ll begin with three simple orders, and then as time progresses, we’ll venture out from there.

Number one, we’ll meet at the lake every few days. The household is swarming with ears that could potentially listen in on our conversations. While the lake should be enough for prying eyes, the mausoleum will be valued only for secure conversations. It’s the only dependable location we can afford—”

“Ah! So that’s why we’re here,” she murmured under her breath with slow nods.

I ignored her comment. “Number two, this may be a given, but you will not share any information with anyone. It must stay between the three of us.”