oklyn. The PI looked less guarded than before, but only marginally. Her eyes scanned the s

anila envelope a

lected. The contracts, emails,

ugh the papers, lett

red. "She really

ust the police," Naomi

d, then set t

h billionaires. If we walk this into a precinct, someone

grimly. "So w

le journalist who won't sell this to the highest bidder. So

That puts a target

lread

hair. "Someone sent me a video. Of me. Last night. They're

ecure locks, cameras, firewalls, backup power, the works.

t a shaky br

igative reporter named Eden Morrow. She's exposed congressmen an

e trus

er the originals

It was the bes

, a storm of fe

-

unit above an old antique bookstore. It wasn't flashy, but it w

king through the blinds as a

ne buzz

wn nu

tock,

d walked to the kitchen, whe

. Private location, no c

and poured two g

wants to see the files and h

he glass. "And i

one. And the next.

about the headlines. I just want

r with a mix of symp

justice. T

hard. "It's the

-

Morrow in a private suite at

t and no-nonsense heels. Her eyes were calculating but

ading the documents on the table. "What I want

itated, t

confided in her about his "cold and distant" wife. How he made her fe

how thin

r. The night Sophia disappeared. The flash drive. Th

s career suicide if

aid. "But I'm don

ould ruin Thorne Media. It could ripple across th

ed. "I hop

between her

the documents. Once I publish, it wil

ward. "Then don'

-

mi tried to sleep. But the walls

she woke up

art pounding. Click. Pause. Clic

gun in hand, watching the

ide alley," she sai

t dry. "Do you th

t don't worry." Delaney cocked the

er, the scre

eeds just

i ga

Delaney said.

-

ng toward a safehouse in New Jersey. Naomi sat in the

," she said. "They

ing. Julian has connections in law enforcemen

t E

self safe. She's probably alr

indow, watching the c

e like him sl

ey tell themselves the world owes them. And if they d

xhaled

o destroy

glance

u w

-

Barrens. No neighbors for miles. Delaney checked every loc

received a me

ed. Story goes live at 8A

uth would be out. The world would finally know who Julian Thorne really was. But

should've crossed me. You've made yourself t

k as she showed th

ay," Naomi said. "We'r

ey sm

e sure he doesn

t her ribcage. Enemies don't get second chances. The words et

y, who was cleaning her Glock on the kitchen coun

ow," Naomi said, her voice lo

off worse men than Julian Thorne. He's j

self. "He's not going to let this

ury it-and us-before it drops. That gives us

en, to ask if she was safe. But she knew Eden w

uddenly, standing up. "I can't just si

her for a moment

take a preem

ckup. Naomi sat with it in her lap while Delaney connected t

signal tracking, no spywa

lash drive copies Eden ha

inancial records-but this ti

as hu

aknesses. She just needed to find one. A trail of offsho

e saw one name repe

ven In

led teens. But according to the wire transfers, Julian funnel

oice tight. "What do you kno

w commands, pullin

rofit. But no website. No p

board of

narrowed as t

here i

Julian's longti

r, currently lobbying for Thor

ia T

blood

s on th

was using Westhaven to launder

aomi whispered. "And that

ed her pen o

that facility. If

ed back. "

ive three hours to some shady rehab center

d her dead

es

s surrounded by tall fencing and thick woods. There were no signs, no lights, no people. Just

ter-mile away, and th

as," she mutter

stinctively. "C

device from her coat

ase-well, Delaney did. Naomi's heart p

No guards. No lights. Just the e

ispered. "Places like this us

door, locked tight wit

econds, the lock clicked. They slipped inside. The interior was worse than Naomi imagined. Not sterile. Not c

the wall. "Last signed activity was six

thing. But just as she was about to give up

u need to

urrie

toppe

labeled by year, client ID, and intake number. But

nts in and out. Don

n't recognize. But

t as a recipient. With an intake ID. Da

hell?" she

silent for a

ake it look like you were part of this. Probabl

felt

this the whole time?

"It wasn't about love

mark. She pulled it down, hands trembling. Inside were surveillance photos. Sophia a

er her shoulder. Naomi turned the picture ov

d. "He had her followed. Wa

. "He didn't just sile

ting it all sink in. T

t. Not in the morning. Not

call Eden. But once this dr

ophia's file, her

want to

l files via encrypted drop. She co

erst

M, the st

LINKED TO MISSING WIFE, F

Thorne trended a

Media's stock be

Julian ca

silence for a moment, then

nk this

ied. "This is ju