The sound of the news broadcast rang in Fiona’s ears as she stared at the chaos unfolding on screen. Security personnel were scrambling to contain the situation while employees poured out of the Atlas Group’s headquarters, fear evident on their faces. Smoke billowed from one of the upper floors, and though no flames were visible, the damage was undeniable.Darwin clenched his fists. “William’s not wasting time.”Thalassa’s voice was tight with urgency. “We need to move. Now.”Without hesitation, Darwin strode toward the door. Fiona and Thalassa followed, their minds racing as they processed the gravity of the situation. They had known William would retaliate, but this—an outright assault on Atlas—was a declaration of war.As they entered the elevator, Fiona turned to Darwin. “What’s the plan?”He exhaled sharply. “We secure the building and assess the damage. I need to know exactly what William did and how far this goes.”Thalassa nodded. “I’ll coordinate with Marcus. If William was b
The room was tense, the air thick with the weight of everything they were planning. Fiona stood beside Darwin, her arms crossed, mind racing as they outlined their next move. William had made his move, and now it was time for them to counter.Thalassa leaned against the table, a sly smirk on her lips. “So, we make William think he’s won, let him get comfortable, and then pull the rug out from under him?”Marcus nodded. “It’s the best way. He’s too cautious to walk into an obvious trap, but if he thinks he’s already won, he’ll slip up.”Darwin turned to Fiona. “We’ll need you to play along.”Fiona inhaled sharply. She knew what that meant. William had framed her for corporate espionage, and if they were going to bait him into overplaying his hand, she had to let the world believe, even for a moment, that she was guilty.“Leak the documents,” she said. “Let William think they’re working.”Thalassa raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that?”Fiona nodded. “He expects me to panic, to fight
Fiona stepped out of the boardroom, her heels clicking against the polished marble floor with deliberate precision. The moment she exited, she felt every eye in the office shift toward her. Whispers spread like wildfire, employees darting glances her way before quickly looking down at their desks.She exhaled slowly. This was part of the plan. Let the world believe she had lost.Marcus was already waiting by the elevators, his expression unreadable. “They went through with it.”Fiona gave a small nod. “It’s what we expected.”He studied her for a moment before pressing the button for the executive floor. “I sent the files to Thalassa. She’s cross-referencing them now.”Fiona glanced at him. “Did Darwin look worried?”Marcus smirked. “Not even a little.”The elevator doors slid open, and they stepped inside. Fiona felt the tension settle into her bones. They had worked too hard to get to this point. If William was watching—and she knew he was—he needed to see her at her lowest.The doo
Fiona’s heart pounded as she stood in front of the large glass window of the Atlas Group headquarters, staring down at the city streets below. The skyline stretched endlessly, yet she felt trapped as if the walls were closing in on her. The tension in the boardroom still clung to her like a second skin, the weight of Darwin’s ultimatum and the silent war with William pressing down on her shoulders.Thalassa stood beside her, arms crossed. "William is getting desperate," she muttered. "I went through the financial reports again. There’s a pattern in his movements—he’s liquidating assets faster than before. Whatever he’s planning, he’s trying to secure enough money to survive if things go south."Fiona tore her gaze away from the window. "You think he’s planning to run?"Thalassa exhaled sharply. "Not yet. But he’s cornered, and that makes him dangerous."Fiona had learned that the hard way. William had already done everything he could to ruin her. He had twisted her pregnancy into a sc
Fiona stood at the edge of the balcony, her fingers gripping the cold metal railing as the city lights stretched endlessly before her. The weight of everything that had transpired pressed against her chest. She had fought tirelessly to expose William, to carve a path toward justice, but the battle was far from over. Every move she made only seemed to push their enemies to more desperate measures.The sound of approaching footsteps behind her made her stiffen. She didn’t need to turn to know it was Darwin. His presence had become something she could sense without effort, a weight in the air that was both steady and unsettling.“You shouldn’t be out here alone,” he said, his voice low but firm. “William still has people watching us. The more pressure we put on him, the more reckless he’ll become.”Fiona exhaled slowly before turning to face him. “I know. But I needed a moment to breathe.”Darwin studied her for a long moment before nodding. “I get it.” His voice softened, but there was
Fiona paced the length of the office, her mind racing as she replayed William’s ominous words. We’ll see about that. The threat lingered in the air, poisoning every moment of triumph. They had exposed him, but he was still out there, slipping through their fingers like smoke.Darwin stood at the window, arms crossed, his jaw tight with frustration. “He had this planned,” he muttered. “The money transfers, the shell companies, the private jet—it was all part of an exit strategy.”Thalassa scrolled through multiple screens, her fingers moving quickly over the keyboard. “I’ve tapped into every source I can. So far, no trace of where he actually landed.”Marcus rubbed his temples. “We need to consider the possibility that he’s headed somewhere without an extradition treaty. If he gets to Russia, the UAE, or even certain parts of Africa, we’re screwed.”Fiona stopped pacing. “He won’t run forever. William doesn’t just want to escape—he wants revenge.”Darwin turned to her. “You think he’ll
The silence in the safe house was thick with tension. Fiona sat at the edge of the couch, her hands wrapped around a cup of untouched coffee. The steam curled into the air, but she barely noticed. Her mind was racing. William was still in the city. That meant they still had a chance to stop him—but it also meant they were walking into his trap. Darwin paced the room, his jaw clenched. “We need to rethink our approach.” His voice was sharp and controlled, but the frustration was evident in his posture. Marcus, seated at the desk, tapped away at his laptop. “We lost track of his jet, but I found something else. He booked a private security team two nights ago. Highly trained. They specialize in extractions.” He turned to Fiona and Darwin. “He’s planning an escape, but not just for himself. He’s securing an exit strategy for someone else, too.” Fiona’s stomach twisted. “Bella.” Thalassa, standing near the window, let out a scoff. “Of course. She’s the only loose end he can’t afford
The air inside the Atlas Group’s underground security wing was thick with tension. William Newton lay unconscious on the floor, his breath shallow. Blood seeped from the wound Fiona had inflicted, but he was still alive. Fiona exhaled, lowering the gun in her trembling hands. The weight of what had just happened settled in her chest like a boulder. It wasn’t over yet—not until they knew the full extent of William’s contingency plan. Marcus knelt beside William’s unconscious form and retrieved the detonator Darwin had caught. His fingers moved expertly as he dismantled the device, removing the battery and disconnecting the internal wiring. “It’s safe,” Marcus announced. “He can’t set off anything now.” Darwin exhaled sharply, running a hand down his face. “We need to make sure there isn’t another bomb planted somewhere in the building. If William had a backup plan, he wouldn’t just rely on one detonator.” Fiona nodded. “Bella said he had something bigger in place. We need to find
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
The silence in the safe house was thick with tension. The confrontation with Morrigan had left more questions than answers, and Fiona couldn’t shake the feeling that they had walked straight into a carefully laid trap. Her words echoed in Fiona’s mind—The question is, what will you do with that power? Darwin stood near the window, watching the Parisian skyline as if it held the answers they sought. His jaw was clenched, the weight of their predicament pressing down on him. Outside, the city buzzed with life, oblivious to the war being waged in the shadows. “She wasn’t just testing us,” Thalassa said, breaking the silence. “She was studying us. Measuring our reactions.” “And she knows we won’t back down,” Fiona added, crossing her arms. “Which means we just painted a target on our backs.” Marcus exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. “Morrigan isn’t playing by the same rules as Lucian or William. She’s not after domination—she wants control but on a different scale.” “Which makes h
The tension in the safe house was thick, an unspoken weight pressing down on them as they absorbed the implications of their meeting with Morrigan. The woman was unlike any adversary they had faced before—calculated, controlled, and entirely unshaken. She hadn’t threatened them outright, but her words had carried a far more insidious warning: they were playing a game much bigger than they had realized, and she had just invited them to the next level. Fiona ran a hand through her hair, pacing near the window. “She knew exactly how to find us, how to draw us in. That means we’ve already underestimated her.” Darwin leaned against the table, arms crossed. “She wants us to believe we have a choice. That we can either join her or become casualties.” “She’s right about one thing,” Thalassa murmured from her seat in the corner. “Lucian’s fall left a power vacuum. And it’s naive to think it would just disappear.” Marcus, who had been silent until now, looked up from his laptop. “She’s als
The chill of the Parisian night clung to Fiona as she and Darwin exited the airstrip. The conversation with their informant had left them with more questions than answers. Morrigan—an enigma wrapped in shadows, with tendrils reaching into the remnants of Lucian’s empire. If they wanted to bring the fight to their enemy, they had to find the puppet master before the strings tightened around their throats. Back at the safe house, Marcus had been busy. “I traced another transaction,” he announced as they entered. His fingers danced across the keyboard, pulling up several encrypted files. “This shell company isn’t just funding private security firms. It’s also making direct payments to political figures in three different countries.” Fiona leaned over his shoulder, studying the screen. “Someone is buying influence.” “Not just influence,” Thalassa interjected, arms crossed. “They’re rebuilding Lucian’s control network. These politicians were in his pocket. If Morrigan is keeping them f