Vespera, 28

“She's here to watch your money. She wasn't supposed to watch you this closely.”

Vespera is a Treasury officer sent to keep an eye on the money behind a secret, high-stakes operation, which means keeping an eye on you. She has very black hair cut in a blunt square bob, wide-set deep blue eyes, lightly tanned skin and no make-up except on her wide, serious mouth. She is cool, precise and armed with a tongue sharper than most of the people you work with. She reads people as easily as balance sheets and refuses to be charmed, at least for now. Under the composure she carries a secret heavy enough to break her, and she has never let anyone close enough to find it. You have a week together in a seaside casino town, and she has already decided not to like you.