Page 78 of The Royal Art of Revenge

“You should have paid more attention,” I say dryly. “Do you think I call Jasmine my sister out of some familial goodness? The kindness of my heart? Absolutely not—I call her my sister because she is. She’s my biological half-sister. And Rosalyn isn’t her adopted mother. She’s her birth mother.”

Finn pinches the bridge of his nose. “Are you saying that your father and Rosalyn had an affair?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. She was his mistress for almost his entire marriage to my mother. I vaguely remember that she found out not long before I was kidnapped. I caught her crying one night to her assistant, even if I didn’t understand what it all meant back then.” I clench my fist, but Finn reaches over and uncurls my fingers, taking hold of my hand so my nails dig into his skin instead of my own.

“Shit,” he whispers. “Everything you said at the hotel makes sense now.”

Alec glances between us. “Should I leave you alone for a moment?”

“No. Actually, you might be able to help me.” I release Finn’s hand and grab my bag. I pull out the same file Rafayel gave me a few days ago. “Here.”

Alec looks at Finn, almost as if he’s asking for permission. Finn hesitates, but bobs his head, and Alec reaches for it as he asks, “What is this?”

“The only evidence I have linking Askurg’s upper class to the group of people responsible for my—and others’—kidnapping. It’s flimsy and circumstantial at best, but I wasn’t the only child who went missing in a short period of time.”

“I vaguely remember that. Her Majesty assigned my father to quietly investigate, but even he couldn’t find anything.” Alec scans the paper, then peers over at me. “How did you get this? How do you even know who’s responsible?”

“Some kids are luckier than others.” I press my lips together.

When I don’t elaborate after a moment of holding his gaze, he nods. “All right. I’ll see what I can do. I assume you’re looking for something that ties this specifically to Rosalyn?”

I nod. “Here, take this, too.” I pull out a USB drive and toss it across the table. “It has all the media coverage regarding mine and others’ disappearances. I wasn’t the only little rich kid in St Peters to suddenly disappear overnight. A couple made it back. A lot didn’t.”

“You want me to find them?”

“No. You…” I drop my gaze to my lap for a breath. “You won’t be able to.”

The weight of my words hangs heavy in the room, and even his calculating gaze softens for a moment.

“I want you to find who made them go missing in the first place.” I push my hair behind my ear and force my jaw to unclench so I can speak again. “Somewhere in that tangled web is proof that Rosalyn had a hand in the orchestration of my kidnapping. Someone knows something. I just don’t have the means to find out who they are.”

He picks up the USB drive and stares at it for a moment before turning his midnight-blue gaze onto me. “And you’re absolutely sure she’s involved in it?”

“The daughter disappears. The wife dies. The mistress becomes the wife; her daughter becomes the Sinclair heir and inherits a royal marriage arrangement.” I glance at Finn. “Don’t tell me she wasn’t.”

“She’d be counting on you never coming back. That’s a big risk.”

“I saw far more children disappear than I did return to their families. A big risk, but a worthwhile one from her perspective.”

Alec inclines his head in acknowledgement of my words. “One more question. How did you get all this?”

My lips pull to one side. “I might have been kidnapped twenty years ago, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t escape. Don’t tell me you think I’m fresh out of Hell and walked back into that household without a plan two years ago?”

His mouth flattens into a thin line. “I don’t think anything,” he says after a moment. “After watching you threaten a man with a blade small enough to tuck invisibly into your sleeve, it seems that to assume anything about you would be a grave misstep on my part.”

“Good. Keep it that way.” I check my watch, then look at Marina. “We need to leave. Jasmine will be waiting for an update from her lackeys.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Finn says, getting to his feet. He holds a hand out for me, and I take it, letting him pull me up. “I’m guessing you’re parked in the underground garage?”

I nod.

“Make sure you’re ready to leave. Sophia will handle everything,” he tells Marina, who quickly bows her head and disappears. “Alec, I’ll be back in a few.”

“Go ahead,” Alec replies, twiddling the USB drive between his finger and thumb. “I assume you’re moving into the palace after the banquet?” he asks me.

“I’ll be there for at least a night or two. We haven’t decided further yet,” I reply.

He looks at the folder. “I’ll see if I can find something by then.”