The formidable Aiden Romanov

chapter 146

The hum of fluorescent lights buzzed above as Braise sat shackled to a steel table, his expression unreadable. His hoodie hung open, revealing faint bruises on his collarbone. Harper had kept him under heavy surveillance — not out of cruelty, but because Braise wasn’t just a rogue operative.

He was Zain’s shadow.

And now, a potential key to dismantling the entire machine.

Detective Harper stepped into the observation room, holding a fresh report. “Let’s see if our friend is still pretending to be silent.”

A technician entered behind him and handed over a secured tablet. “Sir, we intercepted a signal. Encrypted message. It pinged Braise’s old burner line — routed through a ghost network.”

Harper’s brow furrowed. “From who?”

The tech hesitated. “Amelia Reyes.”

Harper stiffened.

“Play it.”

The voice that followed was shaky, raw, and desperate.

“Braise… if you’re hearing this, it means you didn’t abandon me entirely. Zia’s gone. Zain’s gone silent. I think I’m being watched… maybe worse.