Kai cast me a sidelong glance, those fathomless eyes locking onto mine—bright, calculating, and edged with an eagerness that felt almost predatory. A subtle flicker passed through his expression, as if my reaction had momentarily unsettled him.

He hesitated for a heartbeat.

"Three hundred thousand..." he began, his voice deliberately measured.

Then, almost offhandedly, he added, "Dollars."

I stared down at the sapphire butterfly brooch ...