Chapter 142: Black Ledger
Holden slipped back into the ballroom through the same side door he’d used earlier.
The chaos had settled into a tense murmur. The Shade’s unconscious body had already been carried away by the medics, and the broken mirror frame was now covered with a cloth. Nobles stood in small groups, whispering among themselves and throwing uneasy glances toward the Duke. He stood near the royal dais with a drink in his hand, wearing a smile that looked like it was being held together by pure spite.
Lyra was near the east wall, still standing beside her uncle, though their argument had finally died down. Her shoulders were tense and her jaw was tight. She looked exhausted.
Holden stepped behind a marble pillar, pulled off the Void Mantle, and stored it in his inventory. He straightened his jacket, ran a hand through his hair, then picked up a glass of champagne from a passing servant’s tray.
A moment later, he walked across the ballroom like he’d never left.
He moved between the groups of nobles, giving polite nods to a few who stared at him, before stopping in front of Lyra.
She looked up, clearly surprised to see him.
"May I have this dance?"
Lyra blinked.
For a second, the noble mask slipped away, leaving behind a girl who looked genuinely confused and maybe a little amused. Her eyes moved over his face and clothes before settling on the calm expression he wore.
Then something softened around her eyes.
"I thought you’d never ask."
Holden took her hand and led her toward the dance floor.
The string quartet had started playing again at some point, filling the ballroom with a slow, elegant melody. A few couples were already dancing, but they gradually moved toward the edges as Holden and Lyra stepped into the center, leaving the space to them.
Holden placed one hand on her waist while Lyra rested hers on his shoulder. They began to move, slow and steady, following the steps they’d practiced during the quiet moments between battles at the outpost.
Her lips came close to his ear.
"Did you get it?"
"I got everything."
Her fingers tightened around his shoulder. Lyra pulled back slightly and searched his face, looking for any sign that something had gone wrong.
She found nothing.
"Everything?" she whispered.
"Every bar. Every crystal." Holden paused. "And a little black book the Duke was hiding in the back."
Lyra’s eyes widened.
She opened her mouth, then thought better of it.
As they turned, Holden caught sight of the Duke across the room. His gray eyes were fixed on them, especially their joined hands. His jaw was clenched so tightly that a muscle in his cheek kept twitching.
"He’s staring," Lyra murmured.
"I know."
"Good."
They continued dancing for a few more turns.
The music rose and fell around them, while the chandeliers cast warm light across the ballroom. For a brief moment, it almost felt like the two of them were alone.
"You’re ridiculous, you know that?" Lyra said quietly.
"Probably."
"You just robbed a noble treasury in the middle of a party."
"Efficient time management."
Lyra laughed.
The music faded, and the quartet moved into another piece. Other couples slowly returned to the center of the floor, so Holden gave Lyra a small nod and guided her away.
The Gala wound down over the next hour.
Nobles began making their excuses and leaving in small groups, already whispering about everything that had happened. Others stayed until the very end, nursing their drinks while watching the Sterling family with the sort of interest people had when they knew someone else’s downfall was coming.
Holden waited.
Team Soup gathered near the main entrance as the final guests started filing out. Emric had his tactical manual tucked under one arm and looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. Renna yawned loudly and complained about how long the party had lasted. Maeve stood beside Holden, looking as alert as ever despite the late hour.
Lyra stayed close to him, her fingers brushing against his wrist.
"Time to go," Holden said.
They moved toward the exit together, weaving through the thinning crowd. The main hall was lined with tables that had been used for the buffet, most of them already cleared by the servants. Near the back wall, closer to the royal dais, one table still held a few glasses and the remains of a late-night conversation.
A man sat there in a deep blue military coat covered in gold embroidery.
The Royal Envoy.
The Crown’s direct representative at the Gala.
He was older, with a sharp face and tired eyes, and he looked thoroughly bored as he slowly drank from a glass of wine.
Holden adjusted his path.
As he passed the table, his hand slipped toward his jacket.
The black ledger was still tucked inside.
He let it fall.
The book landed on the table, right beside the Royal Envoy’s wine glass. It had fallen open, leaving several pages exposed beneath the candlelight. The Duke’s careful handwriting was easy to see.
Holden didn’t stop.
He didn’t look back.
He simply kept walking at the same pace, his expression completely neutral.
Renna glanced at him.
"Did you just drop something?"
"Nope."
"That looked like you dropped something."
"Didn’t."
Renna frowned.
"Okay, weird. I definitely saw—"
"Renna," Lyra said softly. "Leave it."
Renna closed her mouth.
But the curiosity in her eyes remained.
Team Soup stepped through the main doors and into the cool Capital night.
They had gone about fifty feet when it started.
WHOOP. WHOOP. WHOOP.
Sirens erupted from inside the estate.
Then came shouting.
This was loud, angry, and urgent. The kind of shouting that came from soldiers receiving orders.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"
The voice thundered through the open doors.
Holden recognized it immediately.
The Royal Envoy.
"ARREST HIM! SEIZE THE DUKE OF STERLING IMMEDIATELY! HIGH TREASON! THEFT FROM THE ROYAL COFFERS! SEAL EVERY EXIT!"
More shouting followed.
Boots pounded against the marble floor. Furniture crashed somewhere inside the estate.
"YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!" the Duke shouted. His voice was high and strained now. "This is absurd! I don’t know where that book came from! It’s clearly a fabrication!"
"YOUR OWN HANDWRITING, YOU FOOL! DECADES OF STOLEN TAX REVENUE! YOU’VE BEEN ROBBING THE CROWN BLIND!"
Team Soup stopped on the corner and turned toward the Sterling Estate.
Lights were coming on in every window. Silver-armored guards rushed through the courtyard as more sirens approached from the surrounding streets.
Renna stared at the estate with her mouth hanging open.
"What... what is happening in there?"
Emric pushed his glasses up.
His eyes were wide.
"The Royal Envoy found evidence of systemic tax fraud committed by the Duke of Sterling. And judging by the response, the evidence must be overwhelming."
He stared at the chaos.
"This is... this is the end of House Sterling."
Maeve slowly turned toward Holden.
He looked back at her.
She narrowed her eyes.
"You knew."
"I had a hunch."
"You had a hunch," she repeated flatly.
"Turned out to be a good one."
Maeve stared at him for another second before shaking her head.
Inside the estate, the Duke’s voice had gone from furious to panicked.
Lyra flinched when she heard it.
Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, but she didn’t move toward the estate. She didn’t try to help him.
She simply stood there and watched.
There was pain in her expression.
But there was relief too.
Holden slipped an arm around her shoulders.
She leaned against him.
"They’re done," he said quietly. "The Crown won’t forgive treason. The titles are gone. The lands will be seized, and their allies will scatter."
Lyra closed her eyes.
"I know."
"You okay?"
She didn’t answer right away.
The sirens continued to wail behind them. Guards shouted orders as the most powerful noble family in the Capital was torn apart from the inside.
Lyra stood on the street in her silver-white gown, watching the home she’d known her whole life disappear behind a wall of soldiers and flashing lights.
After a long moment, she opened her eyes.
"I’m okay."
She meant it.
Holden squeezed her shoulder and turned the group away from the estate.
"Come on," he said.
He looked toward the road ahead.
"Let’s go home."