The late autumn rain fell like silver needles against the grey tiles of Mingyao Silk Shop. Liu Shiyao stared at a blot of ink spreading across her ledger, then suddenly grabbed a writing brush and drove it viciously into the rice paper. With a sharp "snap," the tip of the brush burst, spraying ink across her pristine white cuffs like a thunderclap erupting in her heart.
"Miss, it’s a disaster!" Chuntao stumbled in, willow catkins in her hair matted with rainwater. "Wang Bao and the others—they’ve been captured by the Black Armor Guard! Heir Lu has taken them to Prince Zhenbei's Estate!"
The ledger clattered to the floor. Liu Shiyao surged to her feet, her Gold Step-Shaker tilting so sharply it nearly fell. "What did you say?" She grabbed Chuntao’s wrists, her nails digging into the girl’s flesh. "Did Wang Bao implicate me?"
Chapter 111