My stomach tightened. Of course it was Matthew, again. His fingerprints were all over this—his trap dressed as an opportunity.

Maggie’s gaze locked with mine, her voice dropping lower, edged with steel but softened by something almost maternal.

“Now, I won’t insult you by pretending the role is only what it appears. External Relations is a front, Sierra. It always has been. A soft face for hard transactions. Funds move more smoothly when accompanied by charity galas and humanitarian ...