Geneva in the winter was a city of diamonds and steel, a place where the air felt as thin and expensive as the paper used for Swiss bonds. It was the absolute stronghold of the Valerius Foundation—a city of private banks, silent streets, and secrets buried beneath the frozen surface of the lake.

The Villa d'Eau sat on the outskirts of the city, a sprawling glass-and-stone estate that the Russians had secured through a labyrinth of shell companies. It was a masterpiece of modern architecture, looking out over Lake Geneva, but to Selene, it felt like a command center.