Silence stretched for a heartbeat. Then, the scrape of a bolt. The door creaked open, revealing a small, dimly lit office filled with towering stacks of ledgers and maps. Behind a heavy oak desk sat a man who looked less like a bureaucrat and more like a statue carved from basalt. He wore a pristine white linen suit, a stark contrast to the dusty chaos outside. His eyes were dark, sharp, and missed nothing.
"Then you leave," Tariq said softly. "You return to your textiles. You forget this ever happened. The seal stays with me. You remain safe." official egypt lacey jayne
Lacey opened the folder. Inside was a black-and-white photograph. It showed her great-grandfather, standing in the desert, holding this very seal. But standing next to him was Tariq. Silence stretched for a heartbeat
"What happens if I say no?" she asked.