Thane POVI woke up really early, feeling heavy from yesterday’s stress. My head still hurt a little from the interview pressure, but I had managed to get some sleep at last. I rubbed my eyes, stood up slowly, and was about to grab a glass of water when my door suddenly burst open.Theresa barged into my room without knocking. “Good morning,” she said with a mischievous smile.I frowned. “Theresa, you ever heard of knocking?”She rolled her eyes. “Relax, it’s not like you were doing anything.”I sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. “What do you want this early?”She leaned on the wall, grinning. “You already know what I want.”I stared at her for a second before shaking my head. “You’re unbelievable.”She walked closer, her steps looked slow, teasing. “Come on, Thane. It’s morning, the results aren’t out yet, and I’m bored.”“Theresa…” I started, but she cut me off.“Don’t worry, I won’t bite,” she said, laughing softly. “Here, have a drink first.”She handed me a glass of juice. I

Thane’s POVThe inauguration party was finally over. Everyone was busy leaving the hall, talking, laughing, and shaking hands. I was about to join Paul and Theresa outside when I heard a voice call my name sharply.“Pierre!”I turned. It was Shawn.She stood by the entrance, with her arms folded, staring straight at me. Something about her tone felt off and too serious for just a normal chat.“Yes?” I asked, forcing a calm smile even though my stomach twisted a little.“Come with me,” she said. “Now.”I hesitated for a second, but she was already walking away. I followed, with my mind not at rest. Paul and Theresa were still waiting in the car outside, probably thinking I was still chatting inside.We reached one of the smaller rooms beside the hall. The place was quiet, with a single bulb hanging from the ceiling. Shawn closed the door behind us and turned to face me.“Pierre,” she began slowly, “can you explain why you have the late Commander Thane’s ID card?”I froze.“What?” I as

Thane POVMark and Damien took me straight to Star Wars Lab, the top-secret facility where they studied people with strange abilities, or anyone they suspected of hiding something. My mind wasn’t calm. If they found out I was Thane and not Pierre, everything would collapse. My secret would be exposed, and all the plans Dylan left behind—the flash drive, the mission, the truth, would die with me.Inside the lab, the white walls glowed under the bright lights. Everything smelled like metal and chemicals. Scientists in white coats moved around, whispering to each other, glancing at me like I was some rare specimen.Damien handed a file to one of them. “Run every test possible. I want to know who this man really is.”The scientist nodded and gestured for me to follow. My pulse quickened, but I forced a calm face. I couldn’t afford to look scared. Not now.Meanwhile, in another part of the world, Paul was already panicking. He knew what Star Wars Lab meant. It wasn’t a normal research plac

Thane POVWe finally found a small hotel deep inside Georgia City after that embarrassment at the Royal Ridges Suites. None of us said a word in the taxi. Everyone was tired, angry, and filled with disappointment. My mind, though, wasn’t even in the car. It was somewhere else on the missing flash drive.That drive was the most important thing I had left from Dylan. If it fell into the wrong hands, everything we’d been working for would be gone.Paul broke the silence. “You’ve been quiet since we left the hotel. You’re thinking about that flash drive, aren’t you?”I sighed and rubbed my forehead. “Yeah. It’s gone, Paul. I checked my bags twice, and it’s nowhere to be found.”He looked over at me with concern. “Didn’t you say that thing had a tracker?”“It does,” I replied, glancing out the window as the taxi slowed. “But the signal only works if it’s not damaged or blocked by metal.”“Then let’s pray whoever took it doesn’t know that,” he said.Theresa, who had been silent since the ho

Thane’s POV Paul grabbed my arm. “Thane, we can’t just stand here!”“I know,” I said through gritted teeth. “But if that poison spreads any further, she’s gone.”The medical team rushed to help, but one of the officers shouted, “We can’t identify the toxin! It’s spreading fast!”I froze. The last time Shawn stood by me, when President Mark, Viktor, and Damien cornered me after my failed mission, she defended me. She took my side even when it nearly got her killed. The bullet that hit Nadia that night was meant for Shawn. Nadia almost died because of that.I folded my arms in anger. “It’s them,” I muttered. “Amira, Sophia, Ruth, and Claire. They did this.”Paul looked confused. “What are you talking about?”“They poisoned her,” I said, staring toward the infirmary. “They’ve wanted payback since that day. They’re using Viktor and Damien’s cover to do it.”Paul cursed under his breath. “Then we don’t have time to waste. She won’t survive long in there if they plan to finish the job.”“