The new security team had only been hired recently, after Lyla's return.
Before that, the estate's protection had been entrusted to disciples of the Silverwood family. But after her father's incident, it had never been properly investigated how many of them had turned traitor. Lyla, unwilling to take the risk, sent all of them back to the family's Hidden Territory.
Of course, a sprawling garden villa like this couldn't function without guards. At her mother's insistence, a small, obscure security company had been brought in instead. Supposedly, it belonged to her mother's best friend's nephew. Her mother had vouched for them, saying she trusted them completely.
Lyla had objected, but her mother wouldn't hear of it. Exhausted from managing crisis after crisis, Lyla had given in. After all, she told herself, her father's safety depended on her, not on anyone else. If she failed, it wouldn't matter how many guards stood at the gates.
Now, she regretted it.
