of Vance International like a woman possessed. She wore a sleek bla

e addressed the board members-men who had once patted her on

hey li

red

ecte

gers tapping a folder at her side. "Several of you signed off on Project Equinox,

pled across

ff man with a silver tie- leaned for

ou continue to challenge me, I'll file a formal complaint with the f

ever seen he

s-who stormed into th

le

idn't

speak with the board again tomo

the tension thick. Adrian

s said to Adrian

d, turning arou

o you think this display o

plied. "But th

hes, daughter. I built this empire from blood an

haven't forgotten what you did to

urprise crosse

Elena. Not all skeletons st

she whispered. "

eels clicking against th

ut, pride and concern

asked once th

houlder. "We dismantl

protected file Adrian had decrypted from Mar

ntries, patient logs, encrypted t

7E - Codena

ctober

e:

cohesion unstable. Project director notes increased aggression dur

ttached, written i

be preserved. She's

omach

taring at the screen l

eople knew?

Most are gone. Two fled. Sebastian is

r brother-in-

esitated

ied to kil

es

. "So let's k

n bli

le

al systems. For press releases and exposés. He's dangero

rian said. "I just want to be sur

ike iron. "I've been lied to

an received a packa

as a fla

into his lap

ny, time-stamped. A

wn of

own

ore she leaks the Kodiak files. If

ression

was no

war

a single line of te

see

op shut and stood,

We have a

e was alrea

the warm glow of hanging orchids. His bodyguards stood discreetly

sloppy," M

eth. "They bugged my off

rs. You escalated. I told you to

coming

"Then let them. Let them thi

to let her ru

y. "She's my daughter.

now," Sebastian snap

s smile

if she tries to forget that... I'll

inched-but d

with Evelyn's conta

name

eyes. Former

n Marcus Vance," he sa

," Adrian replied.

ilding a case against him for years. Offsho

. "This is what we h

ding slowly. "That m

's next?"

im. And we m

, Elena opened her

touched the

irl with a red ribbon. A locked doo

ed the pa

he fou

t his eyes were blacked out. An

t real. But I bl

her hand t

lled in

daughter to him

arms around her. "But you were

, Marcus called

head of the lo

drian arriv

aid calmly. "I did what I had

on me," Elena said

rcus corrected. "I

ok my m

you bett

st

t own me

leaned

my legacy. Don

id. "I'm you

Adrian followed. And Marcus

-

w of her laptop screen and the occasional flicker from the fireplace. The rain hammered against the

earby, his eyes shadowed with worry bu

aid quietly. "Marcus isn't just

on her screen, shutt

'm the

icker of something deeper surfa

t? If Marcus fights back... it

But I'm tired of living in his shadow-af

e room to her side. "

k his hand. Together, t

nal's stocks dipped sharply after Elena's bold move during the

operative was a man who carried decades of secrets like armor-each

uns deeper than you know. Money laundering, black-market dealings, illegal research

ed through

need to be sma

an help us leak this info anonymousl

coffee, eyes sca

h, Marcus will clamp down harder. If we wa

jaw ti

moment," she said.

in his penthouse apartment, surrounded by scree

a warning, but Sebastian

the keyboard, launchin

nications, intercepting messages between board memb

smi

e game

r body was broken, but her mind remained sharp. She

yn whispered. "Marc

e's eyes

you talki

e dropped to

fami

vate office. A massive painting of his late

hone

he said wit

Elena's making moves. Grey is mobili

ed his fist

s a c

ke before she gr

nodded

erything. N

nd the mansion unusually quiet. Adria

k Evelyn,

lena's he

eared from the hospital this afte

s worl

said, voice breaking.

her into a f

ng to get

Grey, Adrian, and two trusted security operatives gath

to play by the rules

le, dotted with locations connec

held at one of these- an underground

s jaw c

we g

hook h

arded. We'll nee

smiled

ve an

tood on the rooftop overloo

hone

" she wh

ce crackled thro

ber, this isn't a rescue

ions ripped through t

e night sky, sirens wa

rushed to con

slipped through a hidden ent

as cold, steri

as they navigated the

a metal chair in a dim room,

whispered, rus

eyes flut

e croaked.

the restrai

et out o

, alarms

" Grey

echoed over t

think it would

p on Evelyn

cover o

as security f

pain in her arm-a b

eth, dragging Evel

k black SUV scr

inside as bullets s

done yet,

yn, tears streaming

lena said. "And f

-