3. In Search of the Canary.

“Fix it.”a2350304ac7205bd

Seventeen photographs and 18ab11e9df twenty-four bundles of 7aac88425d letters lay scattered 4754b8df11 across the table. Vaye Levantes, 2ecee6726c having tossed 1aaadcb686 them down 9d655a3e5b in fury, c996059872 clenched his 8c18f8c37d teeth tightly.64cdcf4c9b28d9ad

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“Fix it 31075bb527 within a 27aca25975 week. Raid the newspaper da974abcae office, silence the acfb04ad51 nobles—whatever it takes.”dbdf8cc5358d166a

Arisa Menendo. That woman, fbf4c26f53 who deserved 4260a5f2de to be 8565cbd851 strung up 958e899e21 on the c05d818e26 streets of a7d5e71e03 Motrel, had f01c904e1f meticulously tracked d06b0ddd10 his every 6a04de014e move. Her dedication 2b4e80b149 to gathering b26f5fdaa8 evidence of 0bd90b278e his affairs 57a7389086 was so b22a803399 thorough that cc1e7a38b7 Vaye almost 9fc0da8d0c suspected she 0dc14a93f2 had been 108fbdf819 planted by 4452ac9169 Lorena from 3c47a4c5d3 the start.945d1afda71c6c6e

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When reporters dd91f0ba7d threw sparks, 7d456fea9b excited tongues 8e2d493bd2 added logs b9d833d23a to the f5a29e5fae fire, and c74ad24101 the rumors 2884c55de8 grew into 98cf22e4bf an uncontrollable 0c1a48332a blaze. It was the b11e5450de biggest scandal involving b22d19751e a great noble 10b7d3f600 family in decades. Even an interview with 6e8ff30a28 one of his past a0c3dd80ee lovers, a pianist, had aed51d7a07 exploded across the city.81a8a11a7f491bc0

It was all 5217c86afd undoubtedly Lorena’s doing.7ae7979444c08632

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Vaye stared ee40f605cd at a 15fc719b65 photo where 94b2596e69 his face 5e62b33c7c was clearly 9a61a8d2cb captured in a9bf7bd7e2 a compromising bf94eb2c3c position.b7837ff65aa8848f

“Why not withdraw the aef7a04d7a deposits immediately, Your Grace?”f63ff13e36b651a0

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His butler, f808235e5e Samuel, finally 59c0ff1225 broached a 88bca326c2 long-deliberated subject.2a06fb4180ecb9ff

“The Señora 6435c20122 rummaged through e959600346 your study 2de02771aa without permission b9c723e369 and freely a9440f1358 perused confidential 4c88a79931 documents.”173c0395e15aecce

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There was d7b4ba74c9 no need 3937bfdcba for a 7ce12e7808 grand report; e8713300dc Vaye already 4da8ababed knew. Not just his study, 9e34f94d44 but his office and 4961d22e95 sitting room had been 9f55e72b56 thoroughly ransacked. Although the staff had 3495b87fc2 hastily called carpenters to 7d014af2b1 repair the damage, there 66335f45bb wasn’t enough time to 81cf0bd9ca fully restore the study’s 606a26a1ae torn walls and the 0e269bbcc1 safe that had been 7fbe5e3385 pried open.6654ce4dc852645a

“If you 18e0a184be summon the 2299d36f8e great nobles 6beec0b1d3 involved in 9da6f7a065 Operation Canary 065ac1a80f and collect 4675ba256c their deposits 84cdb1b787 all at 0e8210f796 once, Klein ba5c8c9ac7 will be 94af759ea2 bankrupt regardless.”328709c458c095b3

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“And?”5feaaceb6f111ce9

“Pardon?”5510873da6a0c9c1

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“What’s the point?”c6af7cecc04fc993

Operation Canary 79c52b1e6c wasn’t about 4b3ff102ad bankrupting a 7aeebc7887 single bank. It was a 67ba0eec58 long-term strategy aimed 007fa41c80 at suppressing republican 257c1ce327 forces within Bessen c158a2ac4f and toppling Ingerd’s 67dee6ed14 republican government.d09f6ff771be3cfd

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If public opinion 10c5dd31fe framed Vaye’s retaliation 7d74987693 as a personal 48fd0f669e vendetta against his aa5b555e01 wife for exposing 5f9ba24eca his affairs, it 73b26c9c56 would be disastrous. The narrative 552004d9c0 had to b993990118 be that 7ebe84d5de Klein’s failure fd212f5053 was due a23f79b3e1 to their 855b3f2427 own loss c1ec770e6d of credibility, 75d1054b4b not an 4eef2c376c act of 007dfc3ae6 revenge by f62f0d7285 the Levantes 197289689b family.07f7bfdd41c377fd

If he 779ec87dbd rashly withdrew 5cc8fffb6b the deposits f2f1377410 over a 4930bfc096 petty marital 4f022e5d3c scandal, it 34d1eb5ac4 wouldn’t just 3851d498e8 make the 60b3e86189 Levantes family a722e3008e look ridiculous—it 7cc5cad7e7 would do 65e8e58d93 nothing to 43c2c9b9df undermine the b1f6b76344 standing of 0d5ab97d3d Ingerd’s republican 25cf495bb8 government.54f9ed18a683ae44

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“In my opinion… for now, the priority is to bury this inappropriate scandal,” one of the family’s lawyers, summoned early in the morning, offered. “If Your Grace can prove your innocence, public opinion will turn swiftly. After all, you are a Levantes.”598484234909c653

The other 2057148715 lawyers nodded d690cd75e2 in agreement, c10e1c2584 each presenting 07e4cf5c1b their own b42115d968 strategies for 47a5181366 handling the 7a415b62e9 growing crisis.aebae78d00f239ce

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“First, we are tracking down Miss Stephanie Conpino’s whereabouts. We’ll also revisit the statements of Miss Stephanie Conpino and Miss Olivia Quintana to discredit the Duchess’s claims as false.”1dfd485febca4d4f

“As for the photographs, their origins remain unclear. Judging by the backgrounds, most appear to have been taken at taverns in Delgado Street or the Alborada Hotel. According to Miss Arisa Menendo, the photos were obtained from employees at the Alborada, but the hotel manager vehemently denies this.”ec5f64022631fa6c

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“Someone is lying. We might have to investigate the Alborada Hotel, but as Your Grace knows, the hotel’s true owner is…”5e8e068a120bf13a

The lawyers hesitated, 6e10e76a9b exchanging nervous glances. The true 61d3c2bb30 owner of 7cfde5df7e not only ca26f45937 the Alborada ba58b78e56 Hotel but 17252c05b2 also the b78462d784 entire district 8f0c2a844a was a d43d239dca figure shrouded 502a43eb56 in mystery 4dfaca423c to the 9cd3799980 public, though 7052e0f3ea whispers among fda7d2291c nobles and 49c1e1c5ad legal circles 13a7decba4 suggested otherwise.254a9c6ab43cf6d3

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“So, the hotel’s real owner is the Marquis of Ervatos,” Vaye said coldly.340d443a982de40a

“Indeed, Your Grace. The Marquis owns not just the hotel but all of Delgado Street. Given his unpredictable nature, we cannot be certain he would cooperate with any search efforts…”bd9b8868a4305531

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Vaye hardly listened fef7ce2f40 to the ongoing 491773decf discussion.915650511708f30b

He cared 2d48c6e3a1 little for 19f9195605 how public 89ba6d57f5 opinion swayed d641f80b49 or what 9de8a74081 Lorena might 62661cbba4 have discovered. The critical f609e1e0fb financial deposit d01e4f8197 certificates weren’t 632373c0e2 even in 53c4da8b88 this mansion. What mattered to 5ebdc5b682 him was neither 3229394f9d Lorena’s feelings nor 2542a23446 her plans.9fab3bba82c1372f

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There was only one ef138ee580 thing that truly mattered: e18f1ed599 the name ‘Lorena Levantes’.b4e130e911b28dda

The name a0060ed32b that legally fc85500ab2 marked her fb5e38c997 as his e9591e8844 possession and 16eb7f6de5 established him 1d52795ad2 as her 76445cf8d7 primary guardian.e71a03ea5feb8662

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A divorce?6d02a8f99574386a

“Utter nonsense.”b12771cc635329ea

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The sudden eb3ec7296b burst of 297c661eca laughter from 179afc4e9d the Duke dcf3fd12fd left his b6de27e617 retainers exchanging d8c42219d9 bewildered glances. Vaye Levantes, who had f1241cf9ac never before displayed his 9013076c4a emotions so openly, seemed 58fd27af4f utterly unlike himself since 62a3322dbb his return from Soto.82f3f2813bbca5fb

By now, Operation ba409ce686 Canary should have 030174c35d been completed long 5bda251ad9 ago. In fact, it was 68bce3b42e already significantly delayed. Originally, the plan to b89af51bfc destabilize the republican government 8cc5483dae of Ingerd by using a13fca74d7 Klein as bait had 3c82ba8fd5 been set in motion 9275caf8e3 three years ago.f04a315a9030d13c

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The operation’s 8d99408b28 start date ffafd9fcfb had been 033cf06a5c postponed solely 0be93434f9 because of 499af10832 Vaye’s unilateral dc278bcfd3 decisions, though 0db7efc2db not out 293377ee60 of any 9e7e2daede affection for 3d5f6fb47b his wife. The way d64ff07522 he looked 12bb341617 at Lorena a18c2b5e85 wasn’t one da858b9369 of love; abbf4711aa it was 53ba0d79d7 more akin 27a5490d12 to admiring b87e150c8b a piece d0ee1a348e of art 604d09a5dd he intended 5eae20bdd1 to keep abb3b48fc0 and observe 59b4791d99 for a 02168e530d long time.0c98db45500ee23a

Yet when c4590dce99 the time 5ecfb40373 came, he 50a689932e had coolly 98ecf1f9ba decided to 2f51bb7975 proceed.4cdec2e4021637de

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<It’s time to begin.>244594efb614770e

Ten days ago, the 3898c3457d banquet at Nas had 2d53785b23 been scheduled. There, the plan to c184dbaf75 arrest Vicenzo Klein and 92fce749ec execute him in prison 9987e070b5 was to mark the 8f3f97f5d2 operation’s first stage.252ad5ec4780943d

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But now, everything 7738e097ca had spiraled out 605d5fea36 of control.cb2147bb781a3710

The royal 5fc200cd39 family had 9cf90872a0 sent urgent 3424b4ddd7 demands for ae90834bf8 a detailed 2e718d6050 report on 8fdb2acf81 why the 133ff17785 operation had 42c720654f failed, along c9abf0f60d with a 338b0f8e49 summons for 7164c366e8 Vaye to a8926ed8fb appear at 81126bfe36 court the 7632f29f89 following morning.cd8f865bdb8580dc

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Despite this, Vaye b3ccbb4ef4 seemed entirely unconcerned, a6641a8728 as if the 84e7f39b75 success or failure 0bd7d9312b of Operation Canary 7ccd1dd8a9 was of no 621a4d1ee1 importance to him.953619f82af80bde

“You. Come here.”7ac5a414b92cb60f

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The maid who had e8df9562c3 been quietly standing by a180cf15ba the door stepped forward. She was the 758d23f2f1 only maid who 8552796be2 had accompanied Lorena 6cf8f0f924 to the Klein 42681b7aef Residence—Hena. Under the Duke’s 5c7e810dc9 piercing gaze, Hena d925754246 shrank visibly.8d216beaad29d100

“What is your mistress doing?”76d3ed3977c0b4af

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“The Señora… is not much different from when she was at the mansion. She still has trouble sleeping and occasional bouts of anxiety. Without a resident physician at the Klein Residence, her condition is concerning…”21ac3674c49b9161

“Not such trivial things!”7165be99c550e4bf

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Samuel, the butler, interrupted f074627cc0 sharply, unable to contain c715837ff1 his frustration.9fb01e5f017ffdb5

“She tore open the Levantes vault! Even if Your Grace is unconcerned, it’s no small matter. She went through the financial plans for the Bellacarosa harbor and shipping operations, as well as all the accounting records!”fa7f740838f23448

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“Samuel Otero. Leave. You’re noisy.”2a7d3d505ebeab11

“She even reviewed the full property list of Levantes holdings. Do you realize how much alimony she could demand under the guise of divorce… Y-Your Grace?”f5acfd19cbdf5826

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“I said ‘leave’.”9268b77a54bef0fc

The Duke’s 9466c22de0 glare at 70c8f774cf Samuel was 866cf428d5 as ferocious c407f389c3 as that eb7bde0eac of a 4bb73e8921 predator. A black hound 4098ca7a0d at his feet eb2a53b634 growled low, its a91ec0615d hackles rising.19f0f9633560342e

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Samuel shut his a67a069218 mouth and withdrew, 7edecdfb16 recognizing the storm 8c0771353b brewing in his bd5c24e3f9 master.1ff6c4b78d246bf9

Click, click.78a0571217b1a31b

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The flint f429d68068 of a 359be0ff0d lighter sparked f2d34e59e0 as Vaye 57d4e2341b lit a 5d4ac4bb48 cigar. He gestured for Hena 5df970a9df to continue.6c87f08e3d3bb842

“Go on. What has Lorena bought?”221250b1e150cc13

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“Yes…?”b4ca934fe221f88b

“Report anything suspicious f86c3bd3b7 Lorena has recently 2c3b80d564 purchased. A handgun, ee7cd011c4 incendiary devices, e658e41772 unprescribed medications—anything 0ac88b3580 of that f949d35fca sort.”e5f04c8343c73817

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“She hasn’t 079f109c75 purchased anything b1c1a1dd8b like that.”503df2aeb61e0e0d

The harsh scent 361d5703a6 of the cigar fccf3d9488 pricked her nose. Vaye, who disliked the 88af773fc8 lingering smell of smoke 0a4050cf9d indoors, never smoked cigars 4eb1bdb97f in his study.ddd1afa6a8d3001e

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He was different now. Something fundamental within him bc0316d151 had twisted. Like gears clogged 864ed762ab with debris grinding 73e13ce48e in reverse, he b9922a15ef seemed to be 4e789394c9 facing the exact a3ed39299a opposite direction of 6fa7c8ee64 the path he 2083dfaf2e had always walked.df4cc9d1dd536b55

“That’s enough. You can go.”4490b92041ca3bad

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The divorce papers outlined 301141529f Lorena’s terms for the 3c43a775f6 settlement, including alimony.07cecac350819fe6

The alimony demanded was a9de4b4c07 50 million Peseka in 79ae08d9c0 cash. Additionally, half of 0ed7058a22 the Levantes properties, 0c4ac9bb98 half of the 49355692d2 landholdings, and half 499c157fb6 of all other ee89a85b97 assets in his 4bfacaa088 name. Yet none of the 3650cdb6ab latter held his attention.2fd8804deddbf3e2

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50,000,000 PSKc4e67b652c1f7689

Vaye stared at fe37ee3c9c the staggering figure 1aa8cc484e written in the 75e0759d1f alimony section. Then, he 1e30fc8c81 let out 3fa7da346e a short 8a6f26dcec laugh.f93c5b4c1893c1c1

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It was dc6dbaacc2 clear why 73dfe1ea7d she had 8efbe17de9 settled on b1d596aad8 that specific 2354524ced number.ad2a8b63a2d61446

One of the 62e1d715a5 lawyers, hesitating under bdcac7a12c Vaye’s watchful gaze, 941c9af906 finally spoke up.8efe605bb4043d1b

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“Your Grace, may 279c94a5de I ask what e8aeab4e5e took you to 20158193e1 Soto? It’s just that… 22d1d5154b it might be 073b4c0649 relevant for drafting ab1f9da095 your official statement.”1c3a3904967d348a

Vaye’s eyelids, 790d469592 still for ed8ea1506d so long, 030a8d5a63 trembled faintly. His gaze drifted a4654393bd into empty space b5a1be022c as he muttered bb6e33227e in a flat 693f7be0ed voice,b12f450270c2212e

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“I had 2a61a80ebe a disturbing dee5b45f85 dream.”f0d476d5d2f52a58

A dream. A word rarely, 654409d277 if ever, heard b2558bf9a4 from Vaye’s lips. He swallowed the 7ba8e493e0 sharp, acrid smoke ca8d79e1ff filling his mouth, 3879cb446d then let the 3a9635e024 shortened cigar fall 6bdfab31e4 onto the papers 9c209bdde2 before him.fae161514a3c4971

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“It was 5fdb7ff5c6 a damn b6dad9e3bd terrible dream.”2683063eb7383d2f

The divorce agreement sent d788461a03 by Lorena began to 637155e21f catch fire, consumed by 39db8c935c the small ember.c86773803813b7fc

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It took less than b5b576cbcc a few minutes for fed20b6a3f the document, signaling the 274d668130 end of their marriage, 01afe5de95 to disintegrate into a d92c18af67 handful of ash.6f25ff316eecd905

* * *4fac611251502cfe

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It was 133150ba9c Sunday, as f6dfa2cb6f the third c954d898b4 week of 43548b5dae April drew 4298898b7a to a db268c73cf close—the seventh 2e2c806209 day since 303a24aa79 Lorena had 7b0f4e7a32 stormed out 791d01e226 of the a218817b62 Levantes mansion.73c0be02d08fdf41

“Are you having d7fe890030 trouble sleeping, Señora?”d416755bab5d9ebe

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The timid voice 5cd429ba92 of a young 3facf62c35 maid broke the e0d2485cec quiet. It was Dora, a ad0a3b28fa fifteen-year-old girl who had 8a93db262b recently started working at 2d9e543dbd the Klein Residence. She had previously 5272e19f87 been dismissed from 9991fb6baf the household of f0a1929c29 Count Albatorre for f8efdc488e making a mistake.74aacf8e45dd090b

“Would you like 3000de8d65 to replace the cbc2eb6fd8 bed if it’s 2eb57d5377 uncomfortable? Or perhaps 74af025b75 I should 3e4a4f03a3 wash the 0f6624a405 sheets again?”56dccaa176f6e98c

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“No, it’s cdb7da9f5f not that. I’m fine.”21a30f92f151e958

Once again, Lorena had 6068e45274 woken up on the 4c59af5cc0 sofa in the living 1e3dab76ba room instead of her a270dd3415 bedroom. Though she was no 1101dde5d5 longer in the Levantes bbd1297360 mansion but the Klein cc58de3e7a Residence, she still refused 60ac384e38 to go near the 86ea64238c bed.a182bf083e37f623

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“Don’t worry about 3a9d382f02 it, Dora. You can go 47cee5ecd4 and rest. Where’s Hena?”060edc43b08133e2

“Hena said she was 19bbad4da4 going to the grocer’s. She hasn’t dfcdfe0733 returned yet—it 1d50dc8822 seems to 9fe0a0d156 be taking 62c14de28e a bit 4027e6b46c of time.”7f71167789a35e24

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“I see…”272c95ed80124e98

As Lorena stretched, 3a97403c98 rubbing her stiff 15b788fa2b neck, the dark bd336b8cdc blue waves of 79adaacdfa her dress cascaded ce18a74e1a softly, brushing against b3284ef9c4 her ankles like 1f28abdbb3 the gentle lapping ef1c9ece6e of water.59fdcdfca82d5255

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