Page 22 of Mr. and Mrs. Novak

Vincent Morel. Stanford’s right-hand man. A man whose icy politeness always concealed death threats.

"I’m listening, Vincent."

"A little administrative hiccup seems to have landed on your desk. Nothing serious, of course."

I tensed, staring at the open file in front of us.

"The source of the problem has been... neutralized," he continued with fake lightness. "A regrettable mistake on her part. The kind of mistake one only makes once."

A chill ran down my spine. He was talking about the assistant.

"You need something else?" I asked, my tone neutral.

"Just making sure you understand the situation. Confidential documents must remain... confidential. It would be unfortunate if someone drew the wrong conclusions. The kind of conclusions that could endanger his business, his associates... his family."

The threat was crystal clear. I locked eyes with Nicolas and Akim. They had understood too.

"Message received," I replied curtly.

"Perfect!" he said, almost cheerfully. "Stanford appreciates people who know... their place. Have a wonderful evening, my friend."

He hung up. The silence that followed was deafening.

Three days later, I learned the secretary had been in a car accident. Her brakes had apparently failed.

12. The seals

SOPHIA

Secure Channel – PGP Encrypted

ID: #MD78-2025/AW

Priority: High

Seizure confirmed. Port of Marseille T3 - 02:15 AM.

Target: Atlantic Wave (Ref. NXRA-7845-19B)

Origin: Istanbul

Declared Destination: Undefined - Suspicious Docs

Declared Content: Medical equipment

Actual Findings: Concealed tactical weaponry

Estimated black market value: €32 million.

Sealed access available upon request.

I lock my workstation and head to the chief's office. Closing the door carefully behind me, I take a seat across from him. He finishes typing a few lines before finally looking up at me.

"So?"

"Pedro confirmed the seizure. Everything went as planned. The material was neutralized, no major incidents."

He nods, satisfied, but his eyes remain sharp.