The knock hit the door like a gunshot—three brutal beats that shattered the quiet. It snapped me out of the hot fog of the shower; steam still clung to my skin and the towel hung uselessly at my waist as I stumbled toward the door.I shouldn’t have expected anyone. Not at this hour. Not after everything. But when I pulled the latch and swung it open, the corridor filled with men—twelve of them, all black suits and hard angles. The air slithered cold against my wet skin.They looked like they’d been carved out of the night. Faces like masks, eyes flat and patient. Some wore scars that cut lines through expression; others had tattoos that hinted at lives I’d rather not imagine. I felt small. Exposed.A scar red as a lightning bolt across one man’s jaw stepped forward. He smiled without humor. “Are you Ryder George?” he asked.My fingers tightened on the towel. I wasn’t Ryder George. Not anymore. Not in any life that mattered. But words wouldn’t change the fact they were inches from me.

Jessica sighed through the line, the sound faint but weighted. “It’s not like they’re completely identical,” she said. “But there are enough similarities to raise concern. Based on the data, I’d say there’s about a seventy-three percent match.”My fingers tightened around the phone. Seventy-three. That wasn’t a stray number or a random overlap. That was deliberate. “That’s too high to be a coincidence,” I said, my voice low.“That’s what I thought too,” Jessica admitted.She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “But there’s no definitive link yet. I can’t say for sure if this is a continuation of the same project or if someone else is trying to replicate it. Either way, the results aren’t positive enough to confirm a direct connection.”“Where are you now?” I asked.“I’m still inside the Milton lab,” Jessica replied. “I just got the results a few minutes ago.”I exhaled slowly, trying to keep the edge out of my tone. “Keep digging. This might be the key to exposing the people pul

Other footsteps echoed against the floorboards, heavy and deliberate. The restaurant door creaked open again, and another figure stepped in.As I turned my head, my eyes narrowed.Elias.He was draped in a sleek, tailored coat that screamed wealth and arrogance, the kind of coat that looked more suited for a gala than a simple restaurant in this quiet corner of the city. He strolled inside as though he owned the place, his polished shoes clicking softly with each step. His gaze swept the restaurant with cool disdain, lips curled like the very air here was beneath him.“Tch.” His scoff cut through the tense silence. “I swear, this place has lost all its value. When even people with no worth can just waltz in and have a seat, you know the standards have dropped to the gutter.”My jaw tightened, but his eyes slid past me.And then they landed on Mia.His smirk widened instantly, taking on a sharper, more venomous edge.“Though I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised,” Elias drawled, his t

They all reeled back like a struck animal pack — shocked, unsteady, stripped of swagger. Their knives hung useless in hands that suddenly trembled.I took one slow step forward, letting the silence stretch until it felt like the whole room was holding its breath with me.“Who’s next?” I asked.Their eyes slid away. Not one of them met mine.“Cowards,” I said, because naming what they were made it real.Then I turned my back on them and walked straight to Evelyn. She was folded against the wheel, limp and small as if bruises had compressed the life out of her, but when she saw me she blinked hard and something like awe — relief — went through her gaze.I bent down and started working at the ropes. My fingers moved on muscle memory: find the knot, pinch the loop, push the end free. The strands were rough and tight; they’d cut shallow furrows into her wrists. Her skin was warm under my palms, trembling.Just as the last knot slipped and her feet found the concrete, Marcus barked, “Kael,

Just as I shifted my weight, ready to force my way through, a sharp, commanding voice echoed from inside.“Let him in.”The guards froze. Their eyes flicked to each other, uncertainty written in their stiff posture. Then, with reluctant movements, they stepped aside.I didn’t hesitate. I shoved past them, my heart pounding like a war drum in my chest.The moment I stepped inside, the stench hit me—thick and metallic. Blood. Sweat. Something rotten clung to the walls and seeped into my lungs, making my stomach churn. The room was bare except for a single overhead light, its bulb flickering, casting restless shadows that danced along the cracked concrete walls.And then I saw him.Darren.My brother sat tied to a chair in the center of the room like some broken offering. His wrists were bound tightly behind his back, the ropes biting into his skin until they bled. His shirt hung in tatters, darkened by blood that clung in uneven patches. Bruises swelled across his face, purple and black