Allen Crabtre's POV

　　I've handled pressure before and navigated tense situations where every decision counted. But this felt utterly different. It was the creeping, crushing feeling that I was trapped, with no escape from the relentless forces closing in around me.

　　I paced back and forth in my study, my mind reeling. How had everything unraveled so completely? The plan had been flawless. Alexander was meant to take the fall, caught in the web of rumors and ...