Philadelphia, Chestnut Hill.
Inside the Saint Claude Family's private fencing hall, the crisp, harsh clang of metal rang out.
CLANG!
The épée in Leo's hand was violently flicked away, tracing an arc through the air before crashing to the floor with a CLATTER.
His opponent retracted her sword and gracefully removed her mask, revealing the delicate yet cold face of Evelyn Saint Cloud.
She shook her blonde hair, sweat trickling down her neck and into her white fencing uniform.
"Your footwork is too sloppy, Leo." Evelyn tossed her mask to a nearby butler and took a towel to wipe her face.
Leo rubbed his sore wrist and bent down to pick up his sword.
"I didn't come here for a fencing lesson, Evelyn." Leo looked her straight in the eye. "I'm here to talk business. About the Citizen Health Mutual Aid Alliance."
Evelyn paused for a moment, then let out a sneer.
She walked over to a sofa in the rest area, sat down, and took a sip of mineral water.
