2026-02-28 20:55:02
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Chapter 408
They burst through the door and started climbing up, always up, away from the pursuit. The stairwell echoed with their footsteps and the growing sound of their pursuers below.Third floor. Fourth. Fifth.The door to the fifth floor was locked.Priya cursed, pulling at the handle. "Locked! We need to keep going!"But as they turned to continue up, a door opened on the landing below. The men emerged, blocking their retreat.They were trapped.And the men didn't stop. They kept climbing, slow and deliberate, their eyes fixed on their prey.And then—Hands.Strong hands grabbed both women from behind, pulling them sideways. A firm palm pressed over Wilfreda's mouth, stifling the scream that rose in her throat. She was yanked through a door she hadn't noticed—a maintenance access panel—and into darkness.Priya was beside her, also subdued, also silenced. The door clicked shut behind them.Wilfreda struggled, panic overwhelming reason. She kicked, twisted, tried to bite the hand over her mo
Chapter 407
The O'Connor estate hummed with quiet activity in the days leading up to Julia and Philip's twentieth wedding anniversary celebration. It was a milestone that none of them had expected to reach—twenty years of marriage that had survived betrayals, separations, reconciliations, and the complex web of relationships that defined their family.Chance had thrown himself into the preparations with characteristic thoroughness. Guest lists, catering, security arrangements—every detail passed through his hands. It was a welcome distraction from the weight of other concerns: Robert still at large, Christopher's machinations from prison, the ongoing hunt for Dana Voss.Chloe watched him work from the doorway of his study, a small smile playing on her lips. "You know, most people hire event planners for this."Chance looked up, blinking as if emerging from deep water. "I like to be involved.""I know." She crossed the room and kissed his forehead. "But you also need to delegate. Let others help
Chapter 406
The aircraft touched down at 11:47 AM local time, the wheels kissing the runway with a soft jolt that sent a shiver through Courtney's entire body. She gripped the armrest, her knuckles white, her eyes fixed on the window as the city unfolded before her, a sprawl of old architecture and new construction, of history and desperation, of the place where Dana Voss had chosen to hide.Gary's hand found hers. "You okay?"Courtney nodded, though she wasn't sure it was true. "We're here. She's here. Somewhere.""We'll find her." His voice was steady, certain. "Together."They gathered their carry-ons and moved through the terminal in silence. Gerald had arranged everything—passports, clearances, a car waiting at arrivals. The CSSA safe house was an hour outside the city, a nondescript building in a quiet neighborhood where they could coordinate with the local surveillance team.Courtney barely noticed any of it. Her mind was fixed on one image: Dana's face. ***The safe house was a convert
Chapter 405
The photograph remained pressed against her chest long after the call ended. Dana's eyes were closed, but sleep wouldn't come. It never did when the memories surfaced.She was fourteen when they found her.The orphanage sat on the outskirts of a city that no longer exists on modern maps—a grim, gray building where children learned quickly that survival meant invisibility. Dana had been there since she was five, her parents killed in the ethnic conflicts that had torn her country apart. She didn't remember their faces anymore. She barely remembered her own name before the orphanage gave her a new one.But she remembered the day the men came.They wore dark suits, out of place in the crumbling facility. The orphanage director, a woman who doled out beatings like rations, was suddenly obsequious, bowing and scraping as she led them through the halls. Dana watched from the stairwell, her thin arms wrapped around her knees, making herself small.One of the men noticed her anyway.His eyes
Chapter 404
Dana Voss walked through the revolving door of Hotel Mirabelle at 4:47 PM, her movements unhurried, her expression carefully neutral. She wore a simple dark coat, her hair pulled back, her face bare of makeup—the uniform of invisibility she had perfected over years of moving through the world unnoticed.The reception desk was staffed by a young woman with kind eyes and an eager smile. She looked up as Dana approached, her professional greeting already forming."Good afternoon, welcome to Hotel Mirabelle. Do you have a reservation?"Dana slid a passport across the counter. It was German, impeccable, and bearing a name she had used exactly three times in the past two years. "Keller. Anna Keller. I believe my assistant booked a room for a week."The receptionist's fingers danced across her keyboard. "Ah yes, Ms. Keller. A deluxe suite on the fourth floor. Will you be needing any assistance with your luggage?""No luggage. Traveling light.""Of course." The receptionist printed a registr
Chapter 403
The waiter appeared, a young man with an impressive mustache and a practiced smile. "Welcome to Le Petit Four. Can I start you with something to drink?"Janelle ordered a cappuccino. Marcus asked for a black coffee and a recommendation on the pastries. The waiter suggested their almond croissant and a seasonal fruit tart, and Marcus nodded enthusiastically."Both," he said. "We'll share."When the waiter departed, Janelle raised an eyebrow. "Bold move, ordering for both of us."Marcus shrugged, unapologetic. "I believe in sharing. Life's too short to hoard the good stuff." He leaned forward, his eyes warm. "So, tell me something about yourself that isn't in your profile."Janelle considered the question. Her profile was carefully curated—interests, hobbies, a few carefully chosen photos from before everything fell apart. It revealed nothing about her real life, her real history, the real woman sitting across from him."I'm learning to be brave," she said finally. "I spent a long time
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