The next morning, Anna visited Thomas."You're up," she said without turning around. "Good. We leave in twenty minutes."Thomas swung his legs off the bed. He rubbed his face with both hands."The President," he said. "How do I get to him? He doesn't know me. He doesn't trust anyone."Anna finally turned. She walked to the small table and picked up a burner phone. She tossed it to him."I've been in contact with his people for months.” She smiled, thin and cold. "They don't know I've been saving the feast for myself."Thomas caught the phone. He stared at the screen. A single text message was already drafted.I have proof Ethan Stone is not human. Meet me. Noon. The old power station on 12th. Come alone."Send it," Anna said.Thomas's thumb hovered over the button. His heart pounded against his ribs."What if he doesn't come?"Anna picked up her coat and slid it on. "He'll come, he's desperate. The public apology broke him. He's looking for any way to hit back. We're offering him a

Jack’s phone buzzed.Thomas looked at the screen. A text message from an unknown number. Anna raised her eyebrow, he shrugged.“Dr. Vance. Tomorrow. 3 PM. The coffee shop on 4th and Main. Come alone.”Thomas showed Anna the message."It's a trap," she said immediately."Probably," Thomas agreed. "But it's the only door we have."He typed back: “Noted.”He set the phone down and lay back on the bed. The ceiling was still stained, still cracked. But now, to him it looked different. Like a map. Anna sat beside him, she took his hand."After this," she said softly, "when it's done. When he's dead. What then?"Thomas didn't answer, he didn't know. He hadn't thought past the revenge. The thought of a future without Ethan Stone in it was too bright, too strange."We'll see," he said finally.Anna squeezed his hand. She didn't let go.The coffee shop on 4th and Main was small, tucked between a pawn shop and a laundromat. The windows were dirty, the sign was missing letters. It was the kind o

Thomas didn't run. He stood frozen, his hand still gripping Victoria's arm, the vial pressing against his chest like a second heartbeat. Anna tugged at him, her nails digging into his sleeve."Thomas, now!" she hissed.Ethan stepped into the room. He moved slowly, deliberately, like a man who had all the time in the world. The door clicked shut behind him. "Let her go," Ethan said. His voice was quiet, almost calm. But his eyes were black storms.Thomas's grip tightened on Victoria's arm. She whimpered, her body trembling."Take one more step and I'll….""You'll what?" Ethan interrupted. He took a step closer. "Kill her? You came here to take her, not to kill her. She's your leverage. Your bargaining chip. Without her, you have nothing."Thomas's jaw clenched. Ethan was right and he hated that.Anna pulled out a small knife from her coat pocket. The blade caught the fluorescent light."Back off," she said, her voice shaking but fierce. "Back off or I swear I'll…."Ethan's head turne

And then a man stepped out of the shadows.Marcus.He moved past Vance without a glance, his eyes fixed on Ethan. He grabbed Ethan's arm and pulled him into the corner, away from prying ears.Ethan didn't resist, he recognized the grip. "Sir," Marcus said, his voice low and urgent. "We have a problem."Ethan pulled his arm free. He straightened his jacket, his eyes cold but curious."Speak."Marcus glanced back at Vance, who stood trembling by the crates. Then he leaned closer."The President's spy network is bigger than we thought. Vance isn't the only one. There are others. Inside your security team. Inside your legal department. I've been tracking them for months."Ethan's expression didn't change. But his eyes narrowed."Why didn't you tell me?" Ethan asked.Marcus met his eyes. "Because you were distracted. Victoria was dying. You weren't thinking clearly. If I had told you about Thomas, you would have gone after him personally. You would have left her side. And the President w

Anna's fist connected with Thomas's jaw. The crack echoed off the walls. Thomas's head snapped to the side, pain exploding through his freshly healed bone. He tasted blood again.She pulled back and punched him again. Harder. His chair tipped, and he crashed to the floor, his cheek scraping against the rough concrete."That's for making me become who I am not."She stood over him, her chest heaving. Her perfect makeup was still intact, her hair still brushed. But her eyes were wild, furious.Thomas lay on the floor, looking up at her. Blood dripped from his split lip."You don't get to be angry," he said, his voice slurred. "You're the liar. You're the fake. You're the one who wore someone else's face."Anna knelt down. She grabbed his hair and yanked his head up."You think I wanted this?" she hissed. "You think I wanted to hold your hand and whisper sweet lies? You think I wanted to watch you fall in love with this face?"Thomas's eyes widened."I was alone for two years," Anna cont