Goddamn. When had I become the kind of man who found homicidal ambition this attractive?
"There's one more thing." I pulled up the analytics again, showing her the bot network patterns. "This level of media manipulation requires serious resources. We're talking corporate-grade PR firms, maybe even VHC's own Insight Division. Someone spent a lot of money to make sure my story drowned out Veronica's."
"So we have a target."
"No. We have a shadow. The VHC is too big, too nebulous. We need a face. A person we can pressure."
Natalia's eyes lit up with understanding. "Celeste Vance."
"Celeste Vance," I confirmed. "Seraphina's beloved little sister. The one person in the world the Ice Queen of the VHC actually gives a shit about. And conveniently, she's going to be living on the same island as us for the next four years."
"So you're thinking…"
I nodded. "Get close to Celeste. Earn her trust. Find out what big sister knows and what she's hiding. And if we're very lucky..."
