Dorothy Parker had spent most of her life in the shadows. As a retired NSA analyst, she knew the weight of secrets, the kind that could shatter lives if the wrong people got their hands on them. She’d seen it all—broken codes, classified documents that would make even the most hardened operatives tremble, and the kind of intelligence that kept the world from falling apart.

But now? Now, she was trying to live in the light. In a world where she no longer had to look over her shoulder, her biggest concern was no longer deciphering encrypted files, but rather the unspoken tension of a dinner with friends or a quiet walk through the park.

At least that’s what she thought.

Dorothy didn’t believe in coincidences, and she certainly didn’t believe in peace. The world she left behind had a way of reaching out, pulling you back, reminding you that no one ever really escapes. Not fully. Not when you know too much. And when your past is as tangled as Dorothy’s—well, you can’t just leave it behind.

But the world is shifting. Secrets are being exposed, and those old enemies are resurfacing. The stakes are higher than ever, and the very skills that made her invaluable in the world of covert operations are about to be tested in ways she never imagined.

Dorothy Parker might be retired, but she’s not done. Not by a long shot.

Because when you’ve seen the things she has, when you’ve dealt with the kind of dangerous knowledge that most people can’t even comprehend, you learn that the fight doesn’t end just because you’ve walked away from it.

It’s only just begun.

And Dorothy’s about to find out how high the cost of peace is.

Prepare for a story that will keep you up at night, as the quietest of minds is forced to confront the loudest of secrets.