“She’s alive,” Rachel whispered. “But she isn’t safe. Whitmore has her in a private care facility in the foothills near Zurich. If I stop the payments, if I don’t go through with this wedding, he will turn off her life support.”

I stood up, the leather of my service shoes squeaking on the parquet floor.

“You built this entire royal engagement on a lie to cover up a blackmail scheme,” I said.

“I did it to keep Mom alive!” Rachel cried. “If King Alaric finds out about the siphoning, he will seize all the Carter assets here. The trust will be frozen. The clinic in Switzerland will shut down.”

“The King is already investigating us, Rachel,” I said. “Alaric knows something is wrong with the family history.”

“You have to stop,” she said, her voice rising in panic. “Please, Emily. Delete the files. Destroy the drive.”

Before I could answer, the heavy oak door of the study clicked.

I turned quickly, my hand dropping toward my side by instinct, though I was unarmed in my formal uniform.

The door swung open.

Prince Alexander stood in the threshold.