CHAPTER 60

The engines of the private jet roared to life as Fiona fastened her seatbelt, her mind a battlefield of calculations. The attack on William’s mercenaries had been a success, but it wasn’t over. Bella was on the move, and they had a narrow window to intercept her before she became William’s next weapon.

Darwin sat across from her, rolling his shoulders as he assessed their next steps. Marcus was at the front of the cabin, working through encrypted channels to locate Bella’s plane. Thalassa, still on the ground, fed them updates.

“She’s headed east,” Thalassa’s voice crackled over the comms. “Flight plan suggests she’s bound for an airstrip near the coast. It’s isolated, private, and outside most standard tracking networks.”

Darwin frowned. “Sounds like William’s backup escape route.”

Fiona’s grip tightened. William always planned for contingencies. If he had arranged a rendezvous at a private airstrip, it meant he wasn’t just planning to go into hiding—he was positioning himself for his next strike.

“We can’t let them link up,” Fiona said, her voice cold. “If Bella gets to him first, she hands him whatever leverage she thinks she has left.”

Marcus nodded. “We’re estimating twenty minutes before her jet lands. Ours will touch down five minutes after, assuming there are no changes.”

Fiona leaned back, exhaling slowly. Time was against them, but she had learned to fight in impossible situations.

Darwin studied her. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”

She gave him a sharp look. “If we intercept her on the ground before she reaches William, we force her hand.”

He smirked. “Good. Because I’m in the mood for a fight.”

---

Bella’s Desperate Gamble

Bella Kingston clutched the armrest of her seat, staring out at the endless darkness beyond the cabin window. The smooth hum of the jet did little to calm the storm inside her.

She had made her call.

Now, she had to hope William would take the bait.

Her fingers tapped anxiously against the leather. She hated the desperation clawing at her chest, the knowledge that she was on borrowed time.

The moment Darwin fired her, everything unraveled. Sponsors withdrew. Board members turned their backs. And the press—those insatiable vultures—devoured every scandalous detail, leaving her reputation in tatters.

She had spent years ensuring she would never end up like this.

Discarded.

Forgotten.

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to focus. She had one card left to play—information William would kill for.

Her pulse quickened as she imagined their reunion. Would he welcome her back, a fellow survivor in this war? Or would he see her as a loose end to be tied up?

It didn’t matter.

She refused to fade into obscurity.

And if she had to burn everything down to rise again—so be it.

---

The Ambush

The private airstrip emerged through the dense fog as Fiona’s jet descended, its wheels skimming the runway before slowing to a halt.

Fiona wasted no time. The moment the door opened, she was moving, gun holstered but ready. Darwin was at her side, his expression hardened with purpose.

Marcus had already pulled up the latest satellite feed. “Bella’s plane landed four minutes ago. She’s inside one of the hangars.”

“William?” Fiona asked.

“No sign yet. But he wouldn’t send Bella here if he wasn’t coming himself.”

Fiona nodded. “Then we move fast.”

She signaled her team. Five operatives, dressed in tactical gear, fanned out, their movements silent as shadows.

Darwin’s gaze locked onto the hangar doors. “We go in quiet or loud?”

Fiona didn’t hesitate. “Loud.”

With a swift motion, she raised her silenced pistol and fired at the lock. The metal shattered, and Darwin kicked the doors open.

Inside, Bella stood in the center of the hangar, a phone pressed to her ear. The moment she saw them, her face twisted in fury.

“You have no idea what you’re doing,” she spat.

Fiona raised her gun. “Neither do you.”

Bella’s lips curled. “You’re too late.”

Darwin stepped forward. “Too late for what?”

Before Bella could answer, headlights cut through the darkness outside.

Engines rumbled.

A convoy of black SUVs pulled up to the hangar doors, their presence sending a clear message.

William had arrived.

---

A Final Confrontation

The air felt heavier as the first SUV’s door opened, and William stepped out.

He looked composed, polished—even after everything. But his eyes were sharp, dangerous.

Fiona held her ground as he walked toward them, his hands in his pockets.

“You always were relentless,” William mused, his voice smooth. “But you’re making this far more complicated than it needs to be.”

Fiona didn’t blink. “That’s what people say when they’re losing.”

A smirk tugged at his lips. “I’m not losing, Fiona. I’m adapting.”

Bella, sensing her chance, took a step toward him. “William, I—”

He held up a hand, silencing her.

The moment stretched, tension crackling between them all.

Darwin shifted slightly, angling himself closer to Fiona, prepared for anything.

William sighed. “I assume you didn’t come here just to gloat. So, tell me—what do you want?”

Fiona tilted her head. “Surrender.”

William laughed. A deep, amused sound. “You know me better than that.”

Fiona’s grip tightened on her gun. “Yeah. That’s why I brought an army.”

A sharp whistle echoed through the air.

From the surrounding darkness, figures emerged—her operatives, weapons trained.

William’s expression flickered, just for a moment.

Fiona took a step closer. “You’re out of time. Out of men. Out of options.”

Bella, panicking, turned to William. “We need to go—”

But William wasn’t listening. His eyes locked onto Fiona.

And then, he smiled.

“You should know better by now,” he murmured.

Fiona barely had a second to react before the explosion ripped through the air.

The hangar doors blew inward, fire and debris raining down. The force sent Fiona sprawling, her ears ringing as chaos erupted.

Gunfire.

Screams.

Smoke swallowed the space, distorting the battlefield.

Through the haze, Fiona caught a glimpse of William slipping into an SUV, Bella scrambling after him.

“No—” She pushed herself up, adrenaline fueling her movements.

Darwin grabbed her arm. “They’re running.”

Fiona’s pulse thundered.

Not this time.

She ripped free, sprinting toward the vehicles. But another explosion detonated, forcing her to dive for cover.

By the time the dust settled—

They were gone.

Fiona clenched her fists, rage burning in her veins.

This wasn’t over.

Not even close.

She turned to Darwin, breathing hard. “We find them. We end this.”

Darwin nodded, his gaze dark. “No more running.”

Fiona exhaled, eyes fixed on the night sky where William’s escape plane was likely waiting.

This time, she wouldn’t just take the fight to him.

She would finish it.