Thane POV I froze. “You’re sure?”“One hundred percent. It’s active right now, someone’s using it.”Anger burned inside me. “They stole the drive, poisoned Shawn, and think they can get away with it.”Paul sighed. “We can’t go in there yet. That’s their stronghold. If we walk in without a plan, we won’t walk out.”I didn’t care. I could still hear Shawn’s weak voice in my head, calling out the names of those who betrayed her.“I’m not waiting, Paul.”He stepped in front of me. “You’re not doing this alone.”I stared at him for a long moment, then nodded. “Fine. But we’re doing it my way.”He smirked. “Your way always gets us shot.”“Then you better aim faster,” I said coldly.Paul closed his laptop and slung his bag over his shoulder. “Alright, where to first?”“We find a way into that office,” I said. “If the drive is there, we take it back tonight.”“And if Viktor and Damien are inside?”I looked toward the infirmary doors, where soldiers still crowded around, trying to save Shawn.

Thane’s POV“I’ll kill Viktor,” I said, my voice calm but cold. “When I find him, he’s dead. He’ll pay for everything his father did.”Paul’s eyes widened a bit. “Thane, calm down.”“Calm down?” I shouted, standing up so fast the chair almost fell. “You saw the files, Paul! You saw what that monster did. Viktor’s father killed my parents, my brother, my sister everyone. He burned them alive. He burned everything we owned. You want me to calm down after that?”Paul looked at me quietly. “I saw it, yes. But if you rush into this, you’ll lose.”I started pacing the room, with my steps really fast and angry. “He was a crime lord, Paul! The man who destroyed my whole life. And Viktor, his son, is walking free, acting like he’s better than everyone.”Theresa, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke. “Thane, you need to think clearly. Going after them now will only get you killed.”“I don’t care,” I said sharply. “I’ll end Viktor and expose his family. Every one of them.”Paul stood

Thane’s POVThe next morning, Paul and I left the Sunlight Hotel before sunrise. The city was quiet, blanketed in fog. Shawn was still unconscious, and Theresa refused to leave her side. She sat by the window, feeding her through a straw and watching the monitors closely.“Go,” she had said to me, her eyes steady but full of concern. “She’s safe here. You two have a mission to finish.”I nodded, squeezing her shoulder before walking out the door. “Take care of her, Theresa. Don’t let anyone in. Not even the staff.”Paul was already waiting by the car, checking his gun and comms device. “We should move fast,” he said. “Campbell City Barracks will be expecting us by noon.”The road back was long and silent. The closer we got to the base, the heavier the air felt. News of Shawn’s “death” still echoed across every radio station. Her burial had turned her into a symbol—one the military claimed as their own. Nadia and Sophia were still celebrating their fake victory.But that celebration wo

Thane’s POVThe silence between Shawn and me was heavy. The truth I’d hidden for so long was finally pressing on my chest, demanding to be released. I took a deep breath and met her gaze.“Shawn,” I began, my voice low and rough. “There’s something I need to tell you. Something I’ve been hiding from everyone.”She leaned forward, confused. “What is it, Thane?”I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to find the right words. “I faked my death.”Her eyes widened. “What?”“I had to,” I said quickly. “It was the only way to uncover what President Mark, Viktor, and Damien have been doing behind the scenes. They’ve been using people, destroying lives… I couldn’t expose them while I was alive. They would’ve killed me before I got close.”Shawn stared at me, shocked and speechless. I continued before she could interrupt.“I knew I needed to disappear for a while,” I explained. “So I went to China. I met one of the best surgeons in the world—Doctor Henry. He changed everything. My face, my body.

Thane’s POVThe night was quiet, but my mind was anything but. The sound of my laptop’s fan filled the room as I stared at the flashing upload bar on the screen. Every second felt like a lifetime. The files were massive years of corruption, secret deals, and hidden crimes all gathered into one final strike.Dylan’s voice echoed in my head. “When the world sees the truth, they’ll know who the real traitors are.”I remembered Paul too. The drive he’d given me before he died was clutched in my hand. My throat tightened at the thought of him. He didn’t die for nothing.“Almost done,” I muttered, watching the percentage climb 90%, 95%, 100%.The screen flickered once, and the files went live. A flood of evidence hit the internet, video clips, transaction records, hidden audio files, and secret meeting logs.In one video, President Mark sat in a luxury office with Viktor and Damien, laughing with a group of masked men. His words were sharp and cold. “Once the deal is sealed, Asia will cont