Page 175 of The Royal Art of Revenge

“I agree!” Annette taps her pen impatiently against the table.

“Sorry.” Finn pauses. “The judge ordered that the source is to be named. She said the allegations are so severe that Harriet has the right to defend herself. It’s also a matter of security given the position she’s in, and the judge believes she should be allowed to investigate how and why these allegations have come about. The press have forty-eight hours to provide the name to the—”

“Got it,” Annette says, staring at her phone.

Wow.

She really does have friends in high places.

A little heavy-handed to say given she speaks to the queen at least once a day, but still.

Annette looks at Alec. “Who did your spies identify?”

“My sources named him as Zachary Siskind,” he replies darkly.

Boy, the word ‘spies’ really riles him up.

She nods. “That’s the name I’ve just been given.”

“That was quick,” Oscar remarks from the other end of the phone. “We’re on our way back. We’ll be with you soon. The press are swarming, Annette, so be ready.”

“Already on it.” She opens her laptop at the long table and begins typing with one hand as she makes a call with the other.

Valentina slides across the room and sits on the other side of me. “Do you know him? This Zachary?”

I frown. The name seems familiar, but in a way that could be anything from he passed through Sayana’s house to being told one too many stories about him. Even just the surname—it’s uncommon, but not in a special kind of way, the kind of name you could hear a few times and easily remember without remembering anything at all.

“He claims,” Alec starts. “That he was kidnapped and ended up in a house somewhere hot and humid. You were eighteen and coordinated… ah, let’s say the production of unsavoury images.”

My stomach twists.

How could someone make up such lies about another person?

“We now have the full story,” Annette says. “He’s claiming he was one of the underage children you prepared for their customers.”

Valentina’s jaw set. “From where? Sayana’s old house on that small island? Bullshit!”

“He claims to have witnessed Harriet conspiring with the kidnappers to secure her own safety,” Annette continues. “He alleges you were both participant and preparator in the production.”

“Eighteen? He said I was eighteen?” I ask quietly.

“Yes.” Alec is the one who answers this time. “That’s his first mistake. You left before you turned eighteen. Ryan’s father has already said he will corroborate that story. He has all the documentation from when you both contacted him.”

“That was my first question,” I say, although when the hell did he speak to Ryan’s dad? “My second is how this Zachary is connected to Rosalyn or Jasmine.”

The Queen tenses next to me. “You don’t think—”

“Yes. I do.” I glance at everyone. “Aveline stirred the pot when she questioned the similarities between them and the internet latched on. If it weren’t for the press reaching out to the palace, this story would have killed that dead in the water. I know exactly what I think.” I focus my gaze on Alec, but before I can speak, he has his phone to his ear.

“Zachary Siskind,” he barks, maintaining eye contact with me. “I want everything on him. You have twenty minutes or you’re fired.”

Valentina leans into me and raises her eyebrows. “Polite little fucker, isn’t he?”

Beatrix coughs into her fist, and I suspect she’s covering up a laugh.

Valentina blushes. “I apologise for my language, Your Majesty.”

“No, no,” she replies. “I was thinking the same thing, dear.” She squeezes my hand before she stands and walks to Annette, bending down to talk to her.