Pearl held the guards’ attention, Louis, Juliet, and Isabella made their way to the basement.The vault door was as intimidating as Isabella had described—reinforced steel with a biometric scanner and keypad.“This is where I shine,” Isabella said, pulling a slim device from her clutch.“Give me two minutes.”“Make it one,” Juliet muttered, keeping an eye on the hallway.“We’ve got limited time before the guards notice something’s off.”Isabella smirked.“Relax, darling. I work well under pressure.”She connected the device to the keypad, the screen lighting up with a series of rapid calculations.“The Broker’s tech is good, but not invincible.”Louis watched her work, his mind racing. She’s good, but is she trustworthy? One wrong move, and this whole operation falls apart.As Isabella cracked the vault’s security, Juliet positioned herself near the hallway entrance, her sharp eyes scanning for any signs of movement.“Two guards are circling back this way,” she whispered.“I’ll handl

Juliet frowned, scanning a list of companies and financial institutions.“He’s already set up shell corporations to funnel money through. If we don’t stop this, he’ll be untouchable.”Pearl pointed to a map marked with red dots.“These are his targets—key financial hubs. He’s planned every move.”Louis clenched his fists, his voice low but fierce.“This isn’t just business anymore. It’s personal. We’re taking him down for good.”As the team worked through the night, Juliet and Pearl found themselves side by side, their usual sharp remarks noticeably absent.Juliet broke the silence first.“You handled yourself well out there.”Pearl glanced at her, surprised by the compliment.“You’re not so bad yourself, Marks. For a stickler.”Juliet smirked.“And you’re not as insufferable as I thought. Most of the time.”Pearl chuckled softly.“Look, we don’t have to like each other, but we both want the same thing—to protect Louis and take down The Broker.”Juliet nodded. “Agreed. Just don’t get

Louis hesitated, the question striking a nerve.Do I even have the right to drag him into this?“No,” he said finally.“He doesn’t need to be part of this mess.”Later that evening, Terminator X sent a message marked “urgent.”Louis opened it, his expression hardening as he read The Broker’s latest move.“He’s hit our Asian headquarters,” Louis said, his voice cold.“Tied us to a phony corruption scandal.”Pearl frowned.“How many fires does this guy plan to start?”Juliet crossed her arms.“As many as it takes to keep us distracted. We’re dismantling his network, and he knows it.”Louis’s phone buzzed with another notification.This time, it was a video message from The Broker himself.The screen lit up with The Broker’s masked face, his voice smooth and mocking.“Well done, Louis. You’ve been busy, haven’t you? My shell companies, my accounts—you’ve been chipping away at them like a dog gnawing on a bone. Impressive.”Louis leaned back, his expression unreadable.“What do you want,

Louis moved swiftly, taking down two guards with calculated efficiency.As the last operative fell, the team regrouped, catching their breath.Pearl glanced at Juliet, her tone smug.“You’re welcome, by the way.”Juliet rolled her eyes.“Save it for someone who cares.”After clearing several more floors, the team finally reached the top level—the Broker’s inner sanctum.The luxurious office was eerily quiet, the walls lined with monitors displaying surveillance feeds from across the city.Louis stepped forward, his voice steady.“Broker! Stop hiding and face me.”A soft chuckle echoed through the room, and a hidden door slid open.The Broker emerged, his signature mask gleaming under the fluorescent lights.“Well done, Louis,” he said, clapping slowly.“You’ve made it farther than I expected.”Louis’s eyes narrowed.“This ends tonight.”“Does it?” The Broker tilted his head.“Before we proceed, there’s something you should know. Something about your mother.”The penthouse of Skyline T

Louis remained calm, but his mind worked at full speed. The Broker isn’t playing anymore. This is war.Terminator X’s voice crackled through the speakers. “It’s bad. Real bad. The cyberattacks are precise. Someone inside had to have given them access.”Louis’s gaze sharpened. “You’re saying we have a mole?”Juliet exhaled. “We’re saying someone close to you is feeding The Broker everything.”Pearl’s expression darkened. “And if we don’t find out who? We lose everything.”The tension in the room was thick. The team exchanged glances, but no one spoke first.Juliet broke the the silence. “We need to consider all possibilities.”Pearl scoffed. “Just say what you mean, Juliet.”Juliet didn’t flinch. “For this level of access, the mole has to be someone close. Someone with direct links to our internal networks.” She looked at Pearl. “That narrows it down.”Pearl smirked, unfazed. “Let me guess—you’re pointing fingers at me?”Juliet folded her arms. “You did disappear for a while back in Pa