As Grayson squatted behind a line of automobiles and looked at the darkened building in front of him, his breath mingled in the chilly night air. At this hour, Georgetown was still, but his heart was pounding. He was told to locate Bernard Milton. The man wouldn't be walking for very long if Grayson got his way.The clinic stood apart, a modest structure nestled among the district's grand homes. To passersby, it appeared to be a normal medical office, a place for routine, harmless treatments. But to Grayson, it was a powder keg. Here, he would uncover the ugly truth of the Whitaker family's crimes and the depth of their corruption.After tightening his jacket around his body, he looked at his men. Only three of them were present, but they were swiftly in and out despite having enough weaponry to defeat an army. Now, speed was crucial.When he gestured to them, they slipped down the alleyway leading to the clinic's rear entrance like shadows. Grayson's thoughts whirled. Bernard Milton

The sounds of distant conversations bounced off the stone walls as Tatiana paced the cramped space, her heart racing. She had burned the transcript herself. It might have been a symbolic gesture, but it didn't change the reality: Benjamin was still out there, gripping her life more tightly than before. Her chest ached with the burden of her actions and the consequences she had allowed, and she knew things were far from over.She pressed a hand to her forehead, trying to stave off the headache pounding against her skull. Her mind kept circling back to the past, betrayal, lies, waterboarding. The terror. Even though she had acted to save Mira, the cost was steep.She turned quickly as the door behind her creaked open, her heart pounding.Michael appeared in the doorway, resolve etched on his face. His black eyes swept the room as he entered without hesitation.He spoke softly, yet with quiet strength. "I knew you'd do it." But, Tatiana, it's not over yet. Benjamin is adamant about this.

The only sound that broke the hush of expectation was the sharp click of a heel on the chilly marble floors of the Kennedy Center. Tatiana stood at the edge of the big staircase, draped in the blood-stained wedding gown. Her pulse accelerated, a fast throb beneath her skin, and her fingers grew tighter around the railing.The chaos of the evening was playing out behind her, a gala on the verge of a nightmare. Unaware of the betrayal simmering just beneath the surface, the refined audience below, clad in the finest couture, whispered to one another. None of them realized that Benjamin Whitaker's empire was going to fall apart, but they were all there to celebrate it.With the deep red of her gown standing out against the immaculate white of the ballroom, Tatiana's breath caught as she looked down and saw her reflection warped in the smooth marble. The dress, which had previously represented a union, now glowed with a darker meaning, one of blood, sacrifice, and treachery. It served as

With a symphony of cries, shattered glass, and the metallic smell of terror permeating the air, the turmoil in the ballroom was evident. Tatiana's heart pounded in her chest as all of her instincts urged her to act and move. Her feet, however, stayed motionless, and she fixed her gaze on Benjamin, who was still holding onto the gadget that set off the explosions.She was tense, but it wasn't just the bombs going off; something worse was on the horizon. the actual risk. Benjamin had launched the last gambit.In her earpiece, Grayson's voice broke through the cacophony. Tatiana, it's happening. The countdown has begun. The monuments will be destroyed by him. Each and every one. We must take action immediately.Tatiana gasped for air. The monuments, those imposing representations of pride and authority. They were bomb-rigged monuments that were intended to bring the city itself to its knees. Benjamin had always intended a performance, a last display of power. The ballroom explosion was o

Devastation lingered in the ballroom. The once-vibrant hall lay silent, interrupted only by the distant sound of sirens. Corpses were scattered, some still moving, others motionless. The shattered chandelier, once bathing the floor in gentle light, now hung precariously, casting fractured shadows over the wreckage.Tatiana stood in the middle of the chaos, scanning the ruined ballroom while her legs shook beneath her. She swept her gaze across the bodies and blood on the marble, then locked her focus onto Isabella, the one person that mattered most.Isabella lay with a faint, slow pulse. She was alive, but just barely. Her skin was clammy and pale, but the bleeding had stopped. Clutching Tatiana's hand, she breathed weakly.Isabella's hand was squeezed by Tatiana's. Even though she had a lot of work ahead of her, the weight of it all threatened to overwhelm her. For the time being, Isabella's body, a ticking time bomb, had been neutralized, and the biometric code had been compromised.