In the war room, Marcus Webb had set up six monitors along one wall, all of them displaying different streams of data….financial records, communication logs, security footage."Here's what we're dealing with," Marcus said, pointing to the main screen. "Three confirmed moles. Helen Carver, board secretary. Robert Kline, finance board member. Vivian Cross, Kline's assistant. All three have been active for years, feeding information to the Consortium through encrypted channels."Caiden's jaw dropped. He thought it's one person. It was mysterious how these people seemed like they were helping his company only to find out they were traitors. "How do we catch them?" He fisted his palms. "We set a trap." Marcus pulled up a new display. "We feed each suspect a different piece of false intelligence. Carver hears about a chemical threat through the hospital's HVAC system. Richard Kline…Robert's cousin, who may or may not be involved hears about a loophole in the rooftop security. And Robert Kl

The attack came while Caiden's team was still hunting for Ashford's inside contact. Marcus Webb was in the investigation room at three in the morning, running on his fourth cup of coffee, when the alerts started flashing. Red warnings. Unauthorized access. Massive data transfers."Something's wrong," he said into his comm. His fingers flew across the keyboard, trying to trace the source. "I'm seeing unauthorized downloads from the patient records database. Someone's inside our most secure servers.""Can you stop it?" Caiden's voice rang in high alarm. "I'm trying. They've got advanced hacking skills, higher than Carver or Kline ever had. They're bypassing firewalls I designed myself."The breach lasted exactly eight minutes and thirty-seven seconds. In that time, over six thousand patient records were copied and transmitted to servers that Marcus couldn't trace. Even the data from finance were copied. Employee files. Secret emails and the Research data of the hospital.” “I ding eve

The warning arrived on a Tuesday morning, three days after Thorne gave them the flash drive. Caiden was in the war room with Marcus, reviewing the decrypted files from the Consortium's communication network, when Michael burst through the door without knocking. His face was pale, his jaw tight."We have a situation." Michael crossed to the main screen and pulled up a video feed. "Nolan sent this five minutes ago. Your grandfather's London residence is under attack."The footage was grainy, a security camera feed from outside the Mayfair townhouse. Armed men were moving through the building's ground floor, searching round, guns in hand, pointing to different directions. Over eight men. "British intelligence identified the lead operative as Jonathan Crane. He was your father's original business partner. They had a falling out thirty years ago when Crane tried to take over the company. He's been presumed dead for decades." Michael paused. "He's working for the Consortium.""Nolan. Is he

The next morning, Michael was already outside his office, his face tense in a way that immediately signaled trouble.“Edward Ashford is dead,” he said.Caiden froze, his movement halting completely. “What happened?”“His body was discovered at an estate in Switzerland. They’re saying it was a heart attack. The local authorities are classifying it as natural causes.”Caiden narrowed his eyes. “And you don’t buy that.”“I don’t trust coincidences,” Michael said, handing him a tablet displaying the Swiss police report. “He died three days ago, just after our press conference. Right after we made the evidence against him public.”Caiden frowned. “He knew we were closing in. The pressure alone could’ve…”“Maybe,” Michael said. “Or maybe someone reached him before we did. Someone who didn’t want him talking.”Caiden’s gaze stayed fixed on the report. Edward Ashford, the man behind his grandmother’s death, the founder of the Consortium, the shadow that had haunted his family for three decades

The wedding day came with clear skies and an unseasonably warm breeze. The rooftop garden had been completely transformed, like something out of a fairytale. Glass candles lined the walkways, soft light flickering against the evening air, while white and gold flowers covered every surface in carefully arranged abundance. Somewhere nearby, a string quartet played gently as guests settled into their seats, the music drifting through the open space.Michael had organized security with military-level precision. Every attendee was carefully screened, every supplier thoroughly checked. Plainclothes operatives were placed strategically across the hospital grounds, while FBI agents blended into the guest list. Commander Ellis had even brought in his team from London as a personal favor.If the Consortium intended to strike, they wouldn’t find a ceremony, they would find a heavily fortified stronghold.Caiden stood at the altar with Michael beside him as his best man. For the first time, ther