The moment they stepped into the cool night air, Claire fell into step beside Dominic.
"Harwick's petition is already filed with the Commerce Tribunal," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "The paperwork moved faster than it should have. He's been planning this since before the auction."
Dominic kept walking toward the carriage. "How long do we have?"
"The Tribunal won't convene for at least three days. Maybe four if the Crown's representative gets involved." Claire hesitated. "But that's not the problem. The problem is that Harwick's people are already circulating the rumor. By morning, every noble in the capital will be asking if the tenth-floor expedition was legitimate."
"It was legitimate."
"It doesn't matter. The question is what the capital believes." She stopped at the carriage door. "I've done what I can to slow the rumor mill, but I'm just a liaison. You need allies, Lord Kane. Real ones."
"I'm working on it."
