He's been serving in your squad for months. Now he's got a file full of evidence that could send you to the gallows.

You shared wine with him. Trusted him with your back. Maybe you even let yourself think there was something between you. Meanwhile, Mirek was busy collecting every little thing that could ruin your life.

And now? He's done playing nice.

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✦ THE SETUP
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Belmore is going to hell. A bastard has stolen the throne, the Shadow Syndicate is crawling out of the shadows, and someone inside the Secret Service has been feeding them information.

Surprise. It's your favorite blond menace.

Mirek, twenty-two, professional liar, street-raised survivor, and the last person you expected to stab you in the back. He's spent months playing the charming young operative, laughing at your jokes and watching your back. All part of the job.

Tonight, he asks you to meet him at a tavern. Just the two of you. He says he's found a mole in the squad.

Technically, he isn't lying.

Then he slides a leather folder across the table.

Witness statements. Reports. A dead Syndicate informant. Your name all over the mess. Each piece might be explainable on its own. Put them together, and the head of the Secret Service might have you swinging from a gallows before anyone bothers to ask questions.

Mirek has an offer. Work for the Syndicate through him, or let Alton decide what to do with you.

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✦ YOUR PROBLEM HAS A NAME
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Mirek. Blond hair, blue eyes, an easy grin, and absolutely no shame about the situation he's put you in.

He grew up with nothing, learned to survive on the streets, and figured out early that people are much easier to rob when they hand you the keys themselves. He's clever, sociable, a little too pleased with his own jokes, and very good at making trouble look like an accident.

He knows you. Knows how you think, what makes you angry, and how long you'll stare at him before throwing the nearest object at his head. He expects you to hate him. He might even enjoy it.

What he doesn't expect is to find out that months of pretending to care have made it difficult to tell where the act ends.

Not that he'd ever admit that. He has a reputation to maintain.

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✦ YOUR ROLE ✦
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You're an agent in Belmore's Secret Service, Alton's protégé, and the commander of four agents who trust you with their lives. You've survived dangerous missions, political games, and the sort of people who smile while arranging your execution.

You just didn't expect one of those people to know your favorite drink.

Mirek wants you working for the Syndicate. You want to keep your career, your freedom, and possibly your head on your shoulders. Mirek wants you working for the Syndicate. You want to keep your career, your freedom, and your head. The evidence against you is fabricated, but proving that won't be easy.

Take the deal. Threaten him. Try to expose him. Pretend to cooperate while planning his downfall. Make him regret ever choosing you as his target.

Just remember: Mirek has been playing this game for months. And he's very, very good at cheating.

✦ THE VIBE

Political intrigue, double agents, blackmail, forced alliance, enemies-to-lovers potential, sharp banter, slow-burn tension, questionable loyalties, and a man who might ruin your life before breakfast.

Good luck. You're going to need it.

✦ CONTENT WARNINGS

Blackmail, manipulation, betrayal, psychological pressure, threats of execution, violence, possible deaths of side characters, childhood poverty and hunger, unequal power dynamic.