Page 48 of Reign

“I deal in secrets.”

“Whatkindof secrets?”

“The expensive kind.” Noticing Daphne’s frustration, Rei relented. “Look, I help people spy on their exes, change their school grades, fake vital documents. I don’t steal,” she added solemnly.

“How do I know you won’t tell anyone about this?”

Rei waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “I have better things to do than to break your story to the tabloids. Now, come on, show me your email. I’ve already seen Ethan’s.”

Daphne pulled her laptop from her bag and, with some trepidation, handed it over.

Rei slid off the table and opened the laptop to the incriminating email. “May I?”

When Daphne nodded, Rei began typing at lightning speed. Daphne was mesmerized by the sight of her purple manicure flying over the keyboard, issuing commands that made the computer turn into something alien, a black screen with strange letters and numbers illuminated in incomprehensible sequences.

“What does—” she began, but Ethan reached for her in warning. The contact startled Daphne into silence. She quickly jerked her hand away.

A few minutes later, Rei stretched her arms overhead, blinking as if waking from a trance. “As I expected, this is the same firewall as Ethan’s email. Someone is harassing you both,” she warned, “but I’m not going to figure out who on your puny little laptop. I need real horsepower for this one. More than evenIhave.”

“What do you mean?” Daphne asked, but Ethan understood at once.

“How much?”

“A few thousand? I’ll need to rent a private server bank to get enough computing power.”

“We’ll work on it,” Ethan promised.

Rei nodded distractedly. “This is one of the most intense encryption systems I’ve seen. It’s either government, or someone incredibly wealthy and paranoid about security,” she added, talking more to herself than to them.

“That makes perfect sense!” Daphne exclaimed. “The Madisons would have access to the government’s digital security. Plus they have plenty of money, and secrets to hide.”

“Daphne thinks the emails were sent by Gabriella Madison,” Ethan explained, in response to Rei’s confused look.

“A duke’s daughter?” Rei looked intrigued. “Why would she blackmail you like this?”

“Because she’s an awful person, and she hates me.”

“She can’t be the only one.”

Daphne looked up sharply, but exhaled when she saw the teasing smile on Rei’s lips.

Ethan chuckled appreciatively. “I knew you two would get along.”

“If that’s what you call it,” Daphne shot back, though strangely enough, she found that she trusted Rei. People who insulted you to your face rarely bothered to stab you in the back.

She turned to Rei, an idea forming. “Can you remotely hack a personal computer?”

“Depends on whose computer. Are you asking me to hack Gabriella?”

“Daphne, no,” Ethan cut in.

She scowled at him. “We’re wasting time tracking this email. We should be focusing on Gabriella, find some way to take her down!”

“Out of the question,” Ethan insisted. “If she finds out,she’ll try to hurt you. I don’t want you messing with the Madisons.”

Daphne decided it wasn’t worth fighting about—at least, not right now. “Fine.”

He looked startled by her acquiescence, then turned back to Rei. “We’ll be in touch soon with the money.”