Mila Wooters came walking through his office door and ticked every box—everything he’d hoped for with the bonus of being an exceptional baker, a well-schooled city historian, and a self-appointed life coach. That last gift had led to his giving her the nickname Aunt Mila. But even though she could be a little intrusive at times, it was nice to know that someone in Antwerp cared about him.

“Yes, really. Coffee has caffeine, which I could desperately use right now. This has about half a kilo of sugar, and that will put me to sleep in the next thirty minutes.”

She slid a mug toward him. “Oh, hush and drink your cocoa. Besides, that whole caffeine thing is a myth.”

“It’s a… What?”

But Mila just waved her hand toward the computer screen.

Giving up, Nir clicked Play, and the frozen image of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu began moving. He spoke in Hebrew, and it took the English translation a moment to sync in.

“Good evening. Tonight, we’re going to show you something that the world has never seen before. Tonight, we are going to reveal new and conclusive proof of the secret nuclear weapons program that Iran has been hiding for years from the international community in its secret atomic archive.”

“Secret atomic archive,” repeated Mila. “Sounds very James Bond-y. I wonder if the ayatollahs have a lair.”

Nir hushed her and took a sip of the cocoa. For a moment he forgot everything happening on the screen. The liquid in the mug was so thick and creamy, as if it had been made from the milk of a butter-fed cow. And the chocolate? Well, they were in Belgium, after all.

“Oh, where’s my coffee?” Mila quietly mocked him.

Realizing he’d missed some of what the prime minister had said, he backed up the video.

“…to show you Iran’s secret nuclear files. You may well know that Iran’s leaders repeatedly deny ever pursuing nuclear weapons. You can listen to…”

The prime minister continued his detailed presentation, complete with slides and charts. Nir had received a heads-up a few days ago, telling him Netanyahu was ready to go public with everything learned from Operation Deep Sleep. But because he already had a full day of work planned, Nir hadn’t been able to watch it live.

Yael Diamonds was Nir’s business venture and served as his European cover. He’d started the business in 2012 with a little financial help from the Mossad, and it had quickly taken off. Soon he was able to pay back the Israeli government’s loan, and now he owned the business free and clear.