Chapter Four: The Man in the Mirror

Tell the sender I’ll arrive on time.” The lights blinked twice and died. Jo traced the transmission only as far as a private club hosting an imminent wedding. The bride, Iris Lin, was the daughter of an independent Gu director. The groom, Marcus Qin, was a Lu Energy vice president. Another alliance. At that evening’s tasting, Iris wore a diamond White Tern necklace. She called it a token from Marcus, though the inside of her wrist bore the same puncture seen on Celeste and Evelyn. Mira leaned closer to adjust the flowers. “Were your last three medical exams arranged by the groom?” Iris’s smile stiffened. “Society brides get screened. What is strange about that?” “All three of you gave far more blood than a routine test requires.”