The war room buzzed with a tense energy, the blue light from the monitors casting shadows on the metal walls. Ava sat at the long steel table, looking focused.
The table was cluttered with digital tablets, surveillance reports, and a few printed photos. However, one particular image stood out in the middle, capturing everyone's attention.
Pearl, blindfolded, arms bound.
Ava stood rigid before it, hands braced against the table’s edge, knuckles pale from pressure. The overhead lights glinted off her dark ponytail and the faint smudge of a healing bruise along her jaw, a reminder of a night that had nearly cost her everything.
Selena stood to her left, her eyes moving rapidly between the screens, her dark brow knitted with concern. On her right was Rafael, arms crossed tightly over his chest, every muscle in his body tense.
“Talk,” Ava said, her voice like cracked ice on still water.
Selena tapped her tablet and mirrored it to the wall display. A grainy security feed appeared, with nig
