Ethan drove away from the Old Observatory with Mira in the passenger seat, the silence between them heavy but comfortable. The revelations from the Shadow Council still echoed in his mind — the names, the alliances, the depth of the betrayal that had destroyed his family. Damien Cross wasn’t just a bureaucrat. He was the architect who had pulled the strings fifteen years ago. Mira broke the silence first. “You handled that well. Most heirs would have demanded immediate revenge. You listened. That’s rare.” Ethan kept his eyes on the road. “Revenge without information is suicide. Cross is the key. If he’s the one who orchestrated the purge, taking him down could collapse the entire alliance.” Mira nodded. “He’s careful. He’s survived this long by playing both sides. The Sterlings think they control him, but he controls them. We need to be smarter than he is.” They reached the warehouse just as the sun was rising. Lena was already there, pacing near the entrance with a tablet in