A week after their return, Anastasia received a message.
A private invitation.
The Council—the hidden rulers behind the world's economy, politics, and underground dealings—had taken notice. And now, they wanted to meet.
Vincent, of course, had received the same invitation.
They both knew what this meant.
This was not just a meeting.
It was a battlefield.
The Council had been watching them for years, waiting to see if they were worthy of being part of the highest echelon of power. But now, after what they had done to the Duke, they weren't just being considered.
They were being tested.
"You think they'll try to intimidate us?" Vincent asked, lounging on the couch in Anastasia's private study. His green eyes gleamed with amusement as he twirled a glass of whiskey between his fingers.
Anastasia, seated at her desk, barely glanced at him as she continued reviewing financial reports. "Of course they will. They're old men who think they still hold the world in their hands."
Vincent smirked. "Then we should remind them that it's slipping through their fingers