“Ethan,” Renata called gently as she moved closer, her voice careful but firm. “I know you think accepting Thorne’s invitation is the only move you have left, but trust me, it isn’t.”Ethan turned toward her, desperation written across his face. His eyes were red, his breathing uneven, and the ivory card remained clenched so tightly in his hand that his knuckles had turned white.“Then what do I do?” he demanded, his voice cracking under the weight of everything pressing down on him. “Tell me what I’m supposed to do.”He gestured helplessly toward the bed, where his mother lay pale and motionless beneath the dim hospital lights.“She’s dying, Renata,” he said, his voice trembling with pain. “You want me to sit here and watch the woman who raised me take her last breath?”“I want you to think,” Renata replied firmly, refusing to let his desperation pull her into panic.“I have been thinking!” Ethan shot back, his voice exploding through the room.The moment the words left his mouth, he

The SUV turned off the main road and onto a narrow, overgrown track surrounded by tall grass and thick vines. Renata drove carefully through the darkness as low branches brushed against the sides of the vehicle. Behind them, the city lights gradually grew fainter until they disappeared into the distance, leaving only a faint glow on the horizon.As the SUV moved deeper into the wooded area, the track became rougher and more difficult to navigate, forcing Renata to slow down. Through the trees ahead, several lights came into view, revealing the outline of a large building standing alone in the darkness. Its pale walls were partly hidden by thick vegetation, while a series of smaller lights ran along what appeared to be a security fence surrounding the property.Renata slowed further as she approached the area, keeping her eyes on the distant building. After studying the property for a few seconds, she turned the SUV off the track and drove into a small clearing hidden between the trees

The team continued through the estate, keeping close to the walls and moving quickly whenever the shifting lights gave them a clear path.Ethan stayed alert, his Eagle Sight helping him study the dark corners and narrow passages ahead, while Renata led them through the building with the confidence of someone who had already planned their route. Lira followed closely behind them, her expression calm but her eyes constantly moving as she checked their surroundings.They eventually reached a heavy oak door at the end of a narrow corridor. Thick iron bands held the old wood together, and its surface was covered in scratches and dark stains left by years of use. Renata stopped only long enough to check the passage behind them before stepping forward and driving her shoulder against the door.The impact sent a deep thud through the quiet corridor, but the door refused to open.Renata stepped back, clenched her jaw, and struck it a second time with greater force. The old hinges groaned, the

Ansel's eyes shifted past Ethan, briefly studying Renata before settling on Lira. Something calculating flickered behind his gaze as he took in their positions and the weapons they carried. His fingers tightened around the knife, but the rest of his body remained deceptively relaxed.“Thorne warned me that you might try something stupid,” Ansel remarked, his voice carrying a trace of amusement as he looked back at Ethan. “He said you were stubborn, reckless, and far too fond of getting yourself into trouble. But even he didn't think you'd be foolish enough to bring a strike team into his estate.”Renata's expression hardened as she reached for her pistols. “That's funny. I was just thinking how disappointing it would be if I came all this way and didn't get another chance to put a bullet in you,” she replied, her voice cold with open hostility.Ansel moved before she finished speaking.His body shot forward, and the knife flashed toward Ethan's throat with terrifying speed. His first

Ethan stared at the biometric panel, searching for an answer that refused to appear.The steel door stood before him, silent and unyielding. Its smooth surface reflected the dim cellar lights, while the warning displayed on the panel seemed to grow more threatening with every passing second.Three failed attempts.One facility-wide lockdown.A silent alarm that would alert every Sable Court affiliate within ten kilometers.They had already fought their way through a cellar full of armed guards, and Ansel, the man Thorne had hired to stop them, lay unconscious among the shattered remains of a wine barrel. The last thing Ethan wanted was to trigger an alarm that would bring the entire Sable Court down on their heads.He rubbed his thumb against his injured forearm, feeling the faint line where Ansel's knife had cut him. The wound had almost completely healed, but his body was beginning to feel the strain of the fight. His muscles remained tense, his breathing had yet to return to normal