In
The
Lesser
Evil,
Ives
faces
monumental
challenges
and
uncovers
long-buried
family
secrets
that
alter
his
path
forever.
These
revela
-
tions,
coming
from
unwelcome
sources,
force
Ives
to
make
life-alter
-
ing
decisions
to
reclaim
what
is
rightfully
his.
As
he
contemplates
his
next
move,
a
daunting
possibility
arises:
history
could
repeat
itself.
Put
to
the
ultimate
test,
Ives
devises
a
plan
to
satisfy
a
group
of
dele
-
gates
bent
on
reshaping
the
world
to
their
own
standards.
But
what
if
he
doesn’t
consent?
Will
he
lose
the
one
thing
he
values
most?
Decisions,
always
decisions—each
one
proving
that
while
wealth
and
power may belong to Ives, peace of mind remains elusive.
After
tireless
effort,
Ives
finds
Allina.
Yet,
as
close
as
she
is—just
a
floor
away—he
must
complete
his
task
before
she
can
know
he’s
there.
That
proximity
weighs
heavily
on
him.
His
self-control
is
tested,
knowing
the
only
way
to
resolve
the
situation
is
to
deliver
the
delegates’ plan quickly. And so, he does.
In
this
unfolding
drama,
Ives
encounters
many
new
players,
but
none
as
intriguing
as
Frederich
Stultz,
the
owner
of
the
Mittelstädt
Lodge,
the
story’s
central
setting.
This
stunning
estate,
a
preserved
relic
of
mid-1700s
German
country
architecture,
stands
as
one
of
Bavaria’s
oldest
and
most
elegant
homes.
Ives
wonders
whether
Allina
found
any
comfort
there
but
quickly
deduces
she
must
have
been
miserable
and
yearning
to
escape.
His
hunch
proves
correct
when
he
learns
she
attempted to flee.
From
their
first
meeting,
Ives
perceives
Stultz
as
someone
who,
while
cautious,
seems
slightly
trapped
in
a
situation
not
entirely
of
his
mak
-
ing.
That
situation’s
apex
is
Heinrich
von
Schäfer,
son
of
Gregor
von
Schäfer,
the
notorious
head
of
the
Holtzheim
Nazi
detainee
camp.
As
revealed
in
The
Lost
Days,
Heinrich
is
also
the
half-brother
of
Jeffrey
Shepherd, the man who once kidnapped Allina.
Herr
Stultz
is
not
what
Ives
expected.
Gracious
and
forthcoming,
he
grants
Ives
full
access
to
the
estate.
But
why?
What
does
Stultz
know
that
Ives
doesn’t?
Piece
by
piece,
Stultz
unveils
truths
through
heart
-
felt,
private
conversations.
When
he
discloses
that
Allina
is
alive
and
gives
Ives
access
to
the
surveillance
cameras
in
her
suite,
Stultz
fi
-
nally
reveals
why
he
agreed
to
Allina’s
“kidnapping.”
Well—kidnap
-
ping
is
a
harsh
word.
Perhaps,
as
Stultz
claims,
he
removed
Allina
from
a
deadly
situation
to
protect
her,
allowing
her
to
stay
at
the
Mittelstädt Lodge as a distant relative.
The
story
unfolds
like
an
onion:
each
peeled-back
layer
reveals
hid
-
den
truths,
past
and
present,
that
begin
to
make
eerie
sense.
But
what’s the catch?
Ives
is
skeptical.
But
analyzing
the
evidence,
he
finds
Stultz’s
story
plausible.
After
finalizing
the
delegates’
plan,
Stultz
makes
a
surpris
-
ing
proposition:
he
asks
Ives
to
manage
the
Mittelstädt
estate,
much
as
Ives
once
managed
his
parents’
Trust.
Ives
quickly
realizes
this
is
Stultz’s
way
of
severing
ties
with
von
Schäfer.
Ives
agrees,
but
a
ques
-
tion
lingers:
will
taking
on
this
role
disrupt
his
standing
with
the
Bureau? Only time will tell.
Stultz’s
decision
to
keep
von
Schäfer
close
for
so
many
years
was
an
uncomfortable
but
deliberate
choice.
Von
Schäfer,
lured
by
his
own
greed,
envisioned
himself
a
key
figure
in
the
delegates’
new
world
order.
However,
Stultz
had
no
intention
of
allowing
that
to
happen.
Ives,
understanding
the
intricacies
of
this
scenario,
agrees
to
manage
the
delicate
balance
of
appeasing
the
delegates
while
monitoring
von
Schäfer.
Colonel
Derek
Eichel,
introduced
in
The
Last
Hope,
emerges
as
an
-
other
significant
player.
Charged
with
Allina’s
protection,
Eichel
har
-
bors
suppressed
feelings
for
her—a
realization
that
tests
Ives’
patience.
Though
jealousy
flares
within
him,
Ives
chooses
restraint,
knowing
Allina’s
loyalty
is
unwavering.
Instead
of
making
an
enemy
of
Eichel,
Ives
treats
him
graciously,
careful
not
to
overstep
the
Colonel’s position at the estate.
In
the
end,
it’s
always
about
decisions—
problematic
ones—again
demonstrating
that
you
may
have
a
fortune
enough
for
ten
men,
but
enjoying it might prove difficult.
Through
every
trial,
Ives
remains
a
gentleman,
steadfast
in
his
pursuit
of
Allina.
His
courtesy,
wisdom,
and
determination
pay
off
in
ways
he
never
anticipated.
For
the
reader,
the
reward
is
a
journey
layered
with intrigue, emotion, and surprises—a story well worth the read.
The greatest battles are
fought not for power,
but for the people who mean
the most.
“The fear of the Lord is instruction in
wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”
Proverbs 15:33