The night after their confrontation with Viktor Dane, the war took a new turn.Darwin, Fiona, Thalassa, and Lucas regrouped at a secure location—one of Darwin’s lesser-known penthouses overlooking the city. The tension was thick, their next move unclear.But then, the attack came.Not with bullets or explosions.But with headlines.---Scandal UnleashedFiona awoke to the sound of her phone buzzing relentlessly. Groggy, she reached for it, her stomach twisting when she saw the dozens of notifications flooding in. Her heart pounded as she tapped on the first news alert."Darwin Solomon’s Secret: Fiona Monroe Pregnant—But Who’s the Father?"She sat up, cold dread washing over her as she scrolled."Sources close to William Ashford claim that Fiona Monroe’s affair with Darwin Solomon is more than just business. An insider reveals that the socialite is carrying Solomon’s child, raising questions about the nature of their relationship."The article was filled with speculation and half-truth
The world around William Ashford was beginning to crumble.The proof Fiona and Thalassa had uncovered was damning—offshore accounts, fraudulent payments, and direct evidence linking him to the smear campaign. It was only a matter of time before the truth went public.And William knew it.Sitting in his private study, he gripped a glass of whiskey, his knuckles white as he stared at the news reports flooding in.The backlash had begun.Several journalists had retracted their statements, claiming they had been "misled by unreliable sources." Financial analysts were questioning the legitimacy of the attacks on Solomon Enterprises, and whispers of William’s involvement were gaining traction.More dangerously, some of his most powerful allies—those within the Echelon—had started to distance themselves.A weak link was a liability.And William Ashford refused to be anyone’s liability.He set the glass down and reached for his phone. He had one last play left.A desperate one.But it would h
A Ghost in the ShadowsWilliam Ashford had disappeared.Not captured. Not exposed.Gone.For days, Darwin, Fiona, and their allies scoured every trace he might have left behind—bank transactions, private flights, encrypted communications. They checked offshore accounts, known associates, even his private security detail. But William had covered his tracks too well.And that was the real danger.Men like William didn’t run to hide. They ran to reassemble their power.Darwin stood in his office, his gaze locked onto the city skyline. The tension in the room was suffocating. Across from him, Lucas and Thalassa sat, their expressions mirroring his own grim resolve.“We have to assume he’s already making his next move,” Lucas said, his voice firm. “The Echelon doesn’t just abandon assets like him. If he vanished, it’s because they allowed it.”Thalassa tapped a pen against the table. “That means they’re repositioning him. They wouldn’t cut him loose unless they had something—or someone—to
Darwin Solomon had spent years playing by the rules. That era was over.The explosion at the estate had been the final warning. William wasn’t running anymore. He was hunting.And Darwin had no intention of being the prey.Fiona stood beside him in the secure bunker beneath their property, her face illuminated by the dim glow of computer screens. Thalassa sat at a workstation, fingers flying across the keyboard. Lucas paced near the door, weapon in hand, scanning the security feeds.“Any word on the attackers?” Darwin asked, his voice steady.Thalassa didn’t look up. “They were professionals. No identifiers, no digital footprint.” She tapped a few keys, narrowing her search. “But…”Darwin and Fiona stepped closer.Thalassa turned the screen toward them. “I traced their escape route. They were extracted by an unregistered chopper heading west. Only one organization has the resources to pull that off without a trace.”Fiona exhaled. “The Echelon.”Lucas clenched his jaw. “They’re not ev
Allies and BetrayalsThe morning air carried a heavy sense of urgency as Fiona paced inside Thalassa’s penthouse. The city stretched beneath them, indifferent to the war brewing in the highest echelons of power. Darwin sat across from her, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. Marcus, Darwin’s trusted assistant, stood by the window, flipping through documents on his tablet. Thalassa leaned against the bar, sipping black coffee, her sharp eyes shifting between Fiona and Darwin.No one spoke for several tense moments.Fiona finally broke the silence. “This doesn’t mean I trust you,” she said, glaring at Darwin. “But William is a bigger threat than either of us can handle alone.”Darwin inclined his head, his jaw tight. “Agreed. But make no mistake—I don’t expect you to forgive me. I just want to bring him down.”Thalassa sighed, pushing off the counter. “We don’t have the luxury of old wounds right now. William is cornered, and that makes him dangerous. He’ll retaliate, and we need t
The air in the penthouse felt suffocating, thick with the weight of decisions that would determine their future. Fiona’s fingers tightened around her phone as she absorbed the weight of Marcus’s words.Bella had aligned herself with William.It wasn’t just a betrayal—it was a direct threat to everything they had worked for.Darwin ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. “We should’ve cut her out sooner.”“She was already drowning,” Thalassa said, tapping her nails against the marble countertop. “Now she’s just grasping at whatever lifeline she can find.”Fiona’s jaw clenched as she paced across the living room. The city skyline beyond the glass windows stretched out like a kingdom she refused to lose. “But she knows too much. Our strategy, our timeline—William won’t waste time using that against us.”Marcus’s voice remained calm but firm. “We still have an edge. William is desperate, and desperate men make mistakes. He’s trying to move his money, but his offshore accounts aren’
The dim glow of the penthouse lights cast long shadows across the room, mirroring the uncertainty hanging in the air. Fiona’s grip on the phone tightened, the distorted voice still echoing in her ears."Because by this time tomorrow, you won’t have anything left to fight for."She set the phone down carefully, her mind already calculating their next move.Darwin studied her expression, his jaw tightening. “We need to assume William’s making his final play.”Thalassa folded her arms, her usual smirk absent. “If he’s desperate enough to start making threats, he’s cornered. That makes him dangerous.”Marcus looked up from his laptop. “I ran a trace on the call, but it was rerouted through multiple proxies. Could be anyone in William’s inner circle.”Fiona exhaled slowly, steadying herself. “It doesn’t matter. We already knew this was coming.”She turned to Darwin. “How strong is your security detail?”“Strong enough to keep him from walking in here, but if he’s going for something bigger
The night had swallowed the chaos, but the echoes of battle remained.Fiona stood at the edge of the underground garage, watching as the police escorted William away in handcuffs. His once-impeccable suit was disheveled, his face a storm of barely restrained rage.He turned his head slightly, locking eyes with her one last time.“You think this is over?” he murmured, a twisted smile curling his lips. “You’ve just made yourself a bigger target.”Fiona didn’t flinch. “You already tried to destroy me, William. Look where that got you.”A flash of something unreadable crossed his face—then he was shoved forward, disappearing into the waiting police van.Silence settled over the garage.Darwin exhaled, lowering his weapon as he walked up beside Fiona. “It’s done.”Fiona wasn’t so sure. “No, not yet. We stopped William, but the Echelon won’t just roll over.”Thalassa leaned against a pillar, arms crossed. “They’ll regroup, sure. But they just lost their golden boy. That kind of shake-up tak
The morning dawned with an eerie stillness as if the city itself was holding its breath. Fiona stood at the window of their temporary hideout, watching the street below. The sky was overcast, and the light that filtered through the clouds cast everything in a muted, gray tone. It suited her mood. Today wasn’t a day for joy. It was a day for war. Behind her, the room buzzed with movement. Marcus was finishing up a secure line to their new contact in Interpol. Thalassa sat on the floor with maps and surveillance photos spread out around her like a war general preparing for battle. Darwin, quiet and intense, leaned against the wall near the door, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. "We’re ready," Marcus finally said, looking up. "The servers have been rigged to release everything if Morrigan tries to interfere with the next stage. Interpol agreed to act once we handed over the package. We just need the final proof—the nail in the coffin." Fiona nodded. "That’s what tonight is for
The morning air was thick with tension as Fiona stood by the window, staring at the gray skyline. Her reflection was barely visible in the glass, ghostlike and distant. It had been hours since Sofia's attempted assassination. The journalist was still in critical condition, but alive. Barely. Darwin entered the room quietly, a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. He didn’t speak, just handed her the cup and joined her by the window. “She’s holding on,” he said finally. Fiona nodded. “But for how long?” “She gave us a name. That’s more than most people get before they’re silenced.” “Not good enough.” Fiona turned, her voice sharp. “We need to push harder, faster. Morrigan’s not going to slow down.” Darwin didn’t argue. He knew she was right. Thalassa entered with Marcus trailing behind, a tablet in hand. “We have something,” Marcus announced. “Sofia’s notes—we decrypted some of her files. She was onto a major asset transfer. Morrigan’s been funneling funds to offshore accounts und
The sound of shattering glass echoed through Fiona's memory as she stood in the aftermath of the failed hit on Sofia Laurent. The journalist was still alive, barely, but the attack had escalated the war Morrigan was waging from the shadows. They couldn’t wait any longer. Back at the safe house, the atmosphere was volatile. Darwin paced the room, fists clenched, his jaw tight. Thalassa sat with a map spread across the table, a red marker in her hand, circling key locations tied to Morrigan’s operations. Marcus stood by the window, phone pressed to his ear, coordinating with allies they had been reluctant to involve until now. Fiona broke the silence. “We hit her back. Not just financially. We go after the people that keep her afloat.” Darwin stopped pacing, turning to her. “You’re talking about dismantling her infrastructure.” “Exactly,” Fiona said. “She wants to destroy everything we care about. It’s time we show her we can do the same.” Thalassa nodded. “I’ve been mapping out h
The weight of Sofia’s whispered word—Morrigan—hung heavy in the air. Fiona’s knuckles were white as she clenched her fists, her pulse hammering in her ears. Beside her, Darwin stood rigid, his expression carved from stone. The sight of the journalist, barely clinging to life on that stretcher, was a brutal confirmation that Morrigan had escalated the war. This was no longer a battle fought in the shadows. This was all-out warfare. “We need to move,” Fiona said, her voice tight with anger. Darwin nodded. “Agreed. We’re done playing defense.” Thalassa touched Fiona’s arm, her normally smug expression replaced by something dangerously sharp. “Sofia’s not dead yet. That means we still have a chance to get information from her. But if Morrigan wants her gone, she’ll send someone to finish the job.” “Then we keep her alive,” Fiona said. “We make sure she wakes up, and when she does, we find out everything she knows.” Marcus was already tapping away at his laptop, pulling security foota
The night air was thick with tension as Fiona and Darwin left the hotel, their minds racing with what had just happened. Sofia Laurent was barely clinging to life, a direct victim of Morrigan’s retaliation. It was the wake-up call they needed. They could not afford to stay on the defensive any longer. “We need to retaliate now,” Fiona said, her voice firm. “No more waiting for her to make the next move.” Darwin nodded. “Agreed. We hit her where it hurts.” Thalassa, who had been quiet since they arrived at the scene, finally spoke. “We need to dismantle her network from the inside. Gabriel Foster is the key. If he’s funding her, we cut him off.” Marcus tapped away on his laptop. “I’ve been tracking Foster’s accounts. He’s got shell companies moving money for Morrigan. If we expose them, we can freeze her assets.” Fiona smirked. “Then let’s make sure she has nothing left to fight with.” --- The team split up, each with a critical role to play. Marcus and Thalassa would continue
The silence in the safe house was deceptive. It wasn’t the calm of victory, but the pause before a storm. Fiona sat at the edge of the couch, her mind racing. The operation had been a success—they had struck a critical blow to Morrigan’s media empire. Yet, she knew this wasn’t the end. Morrigan wouldn’t take the attack lying down. Darwin stood by the window, his phone in hand. He had been monitoring news reports since their escape. The hack was making waves. Several major outlets had already begun reporting inconsistencies in Morrigan’s financial records, questioning her sudden rise to power. It was the beginning of the unraveling they had planned. “She’s going to retaliate,” Fiona muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. Darwin turned to her, his eyes dark with thought. “She’ll come at us hard. She won’t just defend herself—she’ll want to destroy us.” Thalassa smirked from across the room, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. “Good. Let her come. We’ve been on the
The hum of the hotel elevator was almost deafening as Fiona and Darwin descended from the upper floors, where Morrigan had just issued her chilling warning. The once pristine and composed atmosphere of the meeting had quickly turned sour, leaving them with more questions than answers. Fiona's mind raced, her thoughts heavy with the implications of Morrigan’s offer. "She’s playing us," Darwin said quietly, his voice steady but tinged with an edge of frustration. "She wants us to make a choice—her side, or continue fighting against her. But it’s all a manipulation. She knows how to push our buttons." Fiona nodded, though the uncertainty gnawed at her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Morrigan was holding something back—some crucial piece of the puzzle that could give her the upper hand. Fiona was used to being in control and manipulating situations to her advantage. But Morrigan? She was an entirely different animal. "She won’t stop," Fiona said, her voice firm. "She’s trying to
The safe house was buzzing with activity. The team was fully aware of the dangers that lay ahead, but there was a new edge to their determination—one fueled by the need to outsmart Morrigan at her own game. Fiona stood at the front of the room, flipping through the dossier Marcus had compiled on the latest developments. The intel was invaluable, but it felt like every time they thought they had a grasp on the situation, Morrigan would shift, making the ground beneath them unstable. "You heard her right?" Fiona's voice cut through the low murmurs of the team. "She wants a meeting. And we can’t ignore the implications of that." Darwin was at the map pinned to the wall, tracing the routes they’d use to escape if things went wrong. He turned toward Fiona, his face tight with resolve. "Morrigan doesn’t do anything without purpose. This isn’t just a negotiation—it’s a trap. She wants us to think we have a choice in the matter." Thalassa was examining the blueprint of a luxury hotel in G
The silence in the safe house felt different now—heavier, more suffocating. After their daring mission in Zurich, the team had returned, expecting some form of reprieve. Instead, the weight of their actions pressed on them. Fiona sat on the edge of the couch, her fingers idly tapping her phone, eyes flickering over the reports Marcus had sent. The glow of the screen only illuminated the exhaustion that had settled in her bones. Darwin paced the room, his thoughts elsewhere. He ran his hand through his hair, each step heavy with the knowledge of what was coming. The clock on the wall ticked louder in the quiet room, every second passing with unbearable tension. "We’ve hit her, but we haven’t broken her," Fiona muttered, more to herself than to anyone else. Darwin stopped pacing, turning toward her. "I know," he replied. "But we’re getting closer. That’s what matters." Marcus was at his laptop, the blue light from the screen illuminating his face as he sifted through data. "Morriga