Adeline’s POV
Thirty million crystals.
The number sat on my tablet screen like a wallpaper, bright and unapologetic. I had typed it twice, stared at it, deleted it, then typed it again. My assistant hovered at the edge of the desk, waiting for my final confirmation. The way she looked at me, it was like a junior surgeon waiting for a nod before making the first cut.
“Send it,” I said.
She blinked. “Doctor Lean, are you sure? This is a significant fee.”
“That is the point.”
She hesitated, but she did not argue. A moment later, the request had been delivered to the palace through official channels, stripped of anything that could be traced back to me. I watched her walk out with her communicator still in hand, ready to deal with the royal response the moment it arrived.
I leaned back
