“Leo, you need to see this.”Rosa stepped into the room carrying her laptop, her face tense but with a hint of satisfaction. She set the device on the small table beside the bed and turned the screen toward him. The live feed showed chaos at the decoy location...armed men moving in fast, breaking through doors, shouting orders at empty rooms. Maya’s people had committed hard.Leo pushed himself up a little higher against the pillows. Pain shot through his shoulder and side, making his jaw clench tight, but he kept his expression focused. His eyes scanned the screen with sharp intensity. “They took the bait completely,” he said, voice rough but steady. “Look at how many men they sent. They really thought I was weak and hiding there.”Elena sat right beside him on the edge of the bed. She rested a hand lightly on his arm, her face showing quiet support and a touch of worry. “You’re still hurt. Don’t push too hard right now. Let Rosa handle the details.”Leo turned his head toward her. H

“Hold the line. Let them come in, but control every step.”Leo’s voice cut through the control room, rough from pain but steady as steel. He stood with one hand braced on the table, shoulder and side burning with every breath, but his eyes stayed locked on the multiple screens showing live feeds from Rosa’s network. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His face showed the strain, jaw tight, but he didn’t sit down. He refused to look weak now.Rosa stood beside him, fingers flying across her laptop. “Perimeter breach confirmed. Maya’s team is inside the outer fence. Twelve men, armed. They’re moving fast toward the loading area.”Elena stayed right next to Leo, one hand lightly on his arm to steady him if he needed it. Her face showed worry, but she kept her voice calm. “You’re pushing yourself. Sit if it hurts too much.”Leo shook his head once, eyes never leaving the screens. “Not yet. We need to see this through. Rosa, tell your people to fall back to the second line. Make it look like the

Leo sat at the small table in the back room, his body heavy with pain. Every small shift sent fresh fire through his shoulder and side, but he kept his face steady. He refused to let the others see how much it hurt. Elena sat close beside him, her hand resting lightly on his arm. She watched him carefully, her eyes full of quiet worry but also trust. Martha stood near the door, arms crossed, ready for whatever came next. Rosa worked on her laptop across from them, her fingers moving fast.“I’m making the call,” Leo said. His voice came out rough but clear. He picked up the secure phone Rosa had prepared. “This man owed my father everything. He’ll listen.”Elena squeezed his arm gently. “Take your time. If it hurts too much, stop. We can find another way.”Leo looked at her for a moment. His expression softened just a little. “I know. But this needs to happen now. Thomas is moving too fast. We cut his money before he can use it.”He dialed the number. The line clicked after two rings.

Kane slammed his fist on the metal table, the sound echoing through the dim underground storage unit like a gunshot. His face was flushed with anger, eyes narrowed as he looked at the two men sitting across from him. The air smelled of oil, dust, and old concrete. A single bulb hung from the ceiling, casting hard shadows on their faces. The three loyalists had gathered here after the failed attack, their clothes still carrying the smell of smoke and gunpowder from the decoy location. They looked tired, beaten, but the fire in their eyes hadn’t died.“We lost good men for nothing,” Kane growled. His scar stood out under the light as his face twisted with rage. “Maya promised us an easy target. Said Leo was weak and hiding with minimal protection. We walked into an empty building and got shot at like fools. Three of our guys are in the hospital. One might not make it.”Reyes, the stocky man on the left with a fresh cut on his cheek, rubbed his jaw and cursed under his breath. His face s

“Thomas wants results. Not excuses.”Voss’s voice cut through the dim underground room like a blade. He stood at the head of the table, tall and cold, his dark coat still dusty from the long trip into the city. His face was sharp, eyes hard as stone, the kind of man who had done this kind of work for decades without hesitation. Kane, Reyes, and Vance sat around the table, their faces tense as they listened to the new arrival.Kane leaned forward, his scar standing out under the single light. “We tried. Maya pushed the ambush too fast. The decoy was empty. We lost men for nothing.”Voss’s expression didn’t change. He looked at each of them in turn, his gaze heavy. “Maya is unstable. Her obsession with the girl Elena is making her sloppy. Thomas sent me to take control. We ignore her personal targets. We hit Leo’s supply lines. Cut his money. Make him bleed where it matters.”Reyes rubbed the cut on his cheek, his face red with lingering anger. “She’s been feeding us bad information. We