Chapter 1780:


    Jaxen frowned. “Then why go through all that indirectly? He could have simply asked us to collect a sample.”


    “Isn’t it obvious?” La let out a short, humorlessugh. “He didn’t trust us. He was afraid that if we worked out who Adide really was, we might use it against her.”


    Jaxen went still as the logic settled. “You’re right. He doesn’t trust us — and he certainly doesn’t trust the Hewitts.” He looked at Violette. “It seems he never truly considered your families to be his own. No real loyalty. No real bond.”


    Jaxen had been working quietly in the background, looking for any leverage that might weaken the bond between the Hewitts and the Martels. Now that Violette’s prospects of marrying into the Martel family had copsed entirely, the alliance between the two households was already showing cracks. If the Martels chose to pull back gradually, that partnership would dissolve on its own — and the Hewitts would be left exposed.


    Jaxen had concluded, clearly, that the Hewitts could no longer afford to shelter behind the Martels. They needed to be smarter than that.


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    Violette’s expression soured. She had always known, on some level, that the Martels had never truly trusted her family. Knowing it and hearing it said inly were different things, and hearing Jaxen deliver the assessment so tly needled her more than she wanted to admit.


    Working with the Wades was a dangerous arrangement, and she was aware of it. But there was no better option left.


    Sensing her silence, Jaxen leaned forward. “So — when are you going to act against the Martels?”


    “And how exactly am I supposed to do that?” Violette shot back, her frown sharpening. “If we move against a family like the Martels and it goes wrong, everyone will know it was us. Do you have any idea what that would mean?”


    Any move against the Joneses or the Martels had to seed on the first attempt. If it failed and was traced back to them, the retaliation would be swift and total — and the Hewitt name would not survive it.


    Jaxen and La exchanged a brief look. Their father had already given them their instructions.


    They had attempted to engage a renowned assassin known as Deathbringer, only to be turned away. The alternative they had settled on was poison — something slower and harder to detect. The n was to let Hurley die quietly in his sleep, with no obvious cause, and then work through the rest of the Jones family one by one. The problem was the sheer size of the family. Moving against all of them at once would be impossible to disguise.


    “We start with the head of the Martels,” Jaxen said, dropping his voice. “Take out the leader first.”


    Violette stared at him, then at La, searching both of their faces.


    “Could that actually be done without being traced?” she asked. Then, more quietly: “Have you already started something against the Jones family?”


    She suspected the Wades were using her family as a test case — sending them into danger first to see whether the n held beforemitting themselves.


    “We have the means,” Jaxen said, keeping his voice low. “A slow-actingpound, carefully dosed. Undetectable if handled correctly.”


    “Answer my question,” Violette said, meeting his eyes directly. “Have you already moved against the Joneses?”


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