A week passed, and little by little, Sunset City settled back into normal life. Construction crews had worked tirelessly to repair damaged roads and buildings. Businesses reopened, street vendors returned to their usual spots, children played outside again without their parents constantly glancing nervously toward the sky. To most people, it felt like peace had finally arrived. Michael knew better, peace had not arrived. This was merely the calm before the storm. Sooner or later, the UCA would make their move again. He was certain of it. People like Kenny didn't simply accept setbacks and walk away, they adapted. So Michael adapted too. During the past week, he had spent countless hours digging through files, financial records, leaked reports, and private communications. He searched for dirt on every UCA member he could find, just as he had done with Cobe Marshall. Some had hidden affairs, some had shady business dealings, others had histories they had worked very hard to bury.

Morgan residence. Monica dotted on the flowers so much even though they weren't hers, she had placed them in a vase hours ago but still kept walking over from time to time to adjust it. She couldn’t tell if it was pregnancy hormones or just second-hand happiness. Adrian noticed it without even trying to. He leaned forward and placed a cup of warm chocolate on the table in front of her. “You sure are into those flowers.” Her cheeks flushed slightly as she looked away. “Well, yeah. They're really beautiful.” Adrian gave a soft smile and leaned back on the couch. “Just tell me if you want flowers too, okay? I’ll get you a truck full of different ones. Hell, I’ll buy you a whole garden.” She let out a short laugh, “Stop it. You’re crazy.” The door opened before he could respond. Michael and Celia stepped inside, the shift in energy immediate. Celia looked a little tired, but she still smiled when she saw them. Adrian and Michael exchanged a quick nod, and without needing to say m

Barry stepped into the study with his phone still up on his ear. The moment he saw Adrian and Mira standing inches apart, staring at each other like two people preparing for battle, he stopped in the doorway. His expression shifted from confusion to annoyance. "What is this, huh?" He asked, "Some kind of intense staring contest?" The tension broke immediately. Mira took a small step back while Adrian looked away and folded his arms. Neither of them admitted that they had been seconds away from either arguing again or doing something even more reckless. Mira was the first to recover, a playful smile spread across her face as if nothing had happened. "Blackwood and I were just talking about our plan.” She said lightly before patting Adrian's shoulder. "Weren't we, Blackwood?" Adrian rubbed his eyes and let out a long breath as he muttered. "Yeah, something like that." Barry narrowed his eye at the pair. "You two are seriously weird, in a very confusing way." Mira laughed softly.

"So now what?" Barry asked in frustration. He dropped heavily into his chair and stared at the dead monitor. "We can't even hack her. She seems invincible." The destroyed system sat in front of them like a trophy belonging to Mira-Jane Fletcher. Nobody liked it. Adrian rubbed his face and let out a tired sigh, "We'll look for other ways." Mira immediately rolled her eyes. "Oh come on." She leaned back in her chair, "What other way is there than to snipe her? She's already proven that she has us right where she wants us. What she won't see coming is a bullet heading straight for that brain of hers." Her gaze shifted toward Michael. "Come on, brother. You're thinking about it too. Let's just get this over with, yeah?" Michael looked at her firmly. "No. And let this be the last time you bring that up." The room fell silent immediately. Mira's smile disappeared, "Or what?" Nobody spoke, the atmosphere suddenly became too hard to breathe in. Max quietly leaned back in his chair, “

After a series of practiced smiles, endless handshakes, and enough waving to make her arm ache, Fletcher finally arrived at her hotel. The moment the elevator doors opened onto the private floor reserved for her, the cheerful expression she had worn all day began to crack. By the time she reached the presidential suite, there was nothing left of the charming public figure the city adored. The door shut behind her and she immediately kicked off her heels and sent them flying across the room. "What an exhausting ride." She groaned, dropping onto the edge of the bed. "Are the roads always that bumpy?" Her assistant calmly set down a folder. "Most of the roads affected by the war are still undergoing repairs. Reconstruction efforts are ongoing throughout the city." Mira-Jane stared at her. "Okay, know-it-all." The assistant remained silent. Mira-Jane rolled her eyes and stretched her legs. "Now get out, all of you. I need to get some rest." The assistant nodded and the guards began