The Viper's Glasshouse

I was already exhausted by the time Noura burst into the Grand Kiln Banquet. Five years ago, she abandoned Tariq, claiming it was 'for his own good.' Now, she was back, weeping perfectly calibrated tears and clutching her arm, claiming I’d shoved her against a hot furnace when no one was looking. She expected Tariq to rush to her aid. Instead, my fiercely loyal partner took three large steps backward, physically shielding himself behind a pillar as if she were contagious. I couldn't help but sigh. Noura thought this was a petty battle for a man’s heart, using her 'terminal illness' as a shield. But she didn't know I'd been tracking the city's illegal sensation-spore smuggling ring for months. It turns out, my two headaches are actually one: her 'tragic disease' is just the side effect of dealing illicit spores. With the help of a double agent in her inner circle and a very real doctor ready to present her true medical scans, I’m about to turn her tearful comeback into a clinical, cold-blooded execution. Will she shatter before the final verdict, or will she dig her grave even deeper?