Morning arrived hard and clear. Shannon issued orders quickly.
Two teams headed into the city with new instructions: one to shadow the broker, the other to watch the manor from a distance.
Kim coordinated guards around the house and the cottage. Mira swept the south ridge to confirm the fire was out.
Tristan stood in Shannon's office, the page clenched in his hand. "He used my grandfather's name."
"It may be a mask," Shannon said. "Someone could be using it to hide their own name. We don't leap to the worst answer without proof."
"You think I want it to be him?" Tristan asked.
"No," Shannon said, gently. "I think you'll carry it as if it is him until we prove otherwise."
Bran leaned against the doorway, looking as though he hadn't slept. "If it's his grandfather, we aren't ready for that fight."
"Which is why we need facts, not guesses," Shannon replied.
