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Chapter 9: Options

Author: Ethan Choi
last update Last Updated: 2025-02-16 17:57:17

The drive out of London had been a blur of headlights, speeding asphalt, and silence so heavy it was suffocating. The city had faded behind them, replaced by the vast countryside, where the roads wound through dense forests and sprawling estates.

Elena had barely spoken since they’d left the penthouse. She sat stiffly in the passenger seat, arms folded, her mind replaying everything that had happened in the last few hours.

A sniper.

Shattered glass.

A name whispered by a dying man—DeLuca.

Damien’s grip on the steering wheel was tight, his knuckles white. His entire body radiated tension, a barely restrained fury simmering beneath the surface. He had said little, only the occasional command to Dante or Marco through the earpiece.

The safe house loomed ahead, a sprawling estate nestled deep in the countryside. High walls and security cameras lined the perimeter, and armed men stood at the gate, their expressions grim.

Elena swallowed hard.

This wasn’t protection.

It was a prison.

As the
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