As Isabella took in Michael's words, her heart raced. With the weight of prior betrayals and the urgency of the present, the room felt too small and too tense. She hadn't anticipated Michael confessing his love, but she didn't have time to worry over feelings at this point. Every choice felt like a step towards either salvation or doom as the clock ticked away.
She turned her back on him and gazed into the encroaching dusk outside the window. "What is your strategy, even if I do trust you? You stated that we require an alternative approach, but what do you propose? How can we defeat them without endangering ourselves?
Michael's voice was steady but urgent as he approached but maintained his distance. "I've been operating internally. I've observed how they function and their areas of weakness. They can be exposed, but it can't be by a direct attack. They will launch a retaliation if you expose those files now, leaving you helpless. First, we must cut off important Alliance members' su
