تسجيل الدخولAmber POVI led them toward the kitchen.Everyone followed in silence except Alex, who already looked like he was trying to reverse engineer the system in his head.Once inside the kitchen, I crouched slightly and pressed one of the floor tiles near the island counter.For a moment, nothing happened.Then—A section of the back wall shifted.Mr. Stuart startled visibly.My grandfather looked stunned for perhaps the first time in years.Jason simply stared at me with growing fascination.The hidden wall slid open completely, revealing a dimly lit corridor beyond it.Alex’s mouth dropped open.“THAT IS SO COOL.”I smiled despite myself.“Language,” Jason corrected automatically.“That wasn’t bad language,” Alex argued immediately while hurrying after me.The corridor led downward into a concealed command center beneath the fairy house.Soft lights activated automatically as we entered.Screens lined one entire wall.Live camera feeds displayed every entrance to the property.Thermal ima
Amber POVMr. Stait insisted on assigning protection immediately.Not private security.Not family guards.Military protection.Disguised as regular security personnel.And according to him, it was completely non-negotiable.“You are both considered high-risk targets now,” he said firmly. “And the children are connected to you.”Jason looked ready to argue anyway.“No visible tactical gear,” Emory added before Jason could speak. “No armored convoys. No dramatic presence.”“A subtle security rotation,” Mr. Stait finished. “People trained to respond if necessary.”Jason’s jaw tightened.He hated strangers near the children.Hated the idea of outsiders near our home even more.But eventually, after several minutes of tense negotiation, he agreed under one condition—Every single assigned operative would be vetted personally through Cronos.Mr. Stait accepted immediately.That alone told me how serious this situation had become.We left the base shortly afterward.Before separating, I sto
Amber POVThe silence that followed Emory’s warning felt heavier than everything that had come before it.Not because we were afraid.Because for the first time, everyone in that room understood the same thing—The enemy now knew exactly who we were.Jason’s hand tightened around mine before he finally looked at me.His expression had gone completely focused again, every trace of shock buried beneath strategy and instinct.“We can’t stay at the fairy house anymore,” he said quietly.The words landed hard.Because the fairy house had become more than a hidden property.It was safety.Warmth.The closest thing any of us had to peace.I shook my head immediately.“We’ll be safe there.”Jason frowned at once.“Amber—”“I’ll explain later,” I interrupted softly, squeezing his hand once.Not here.Not in front of everyone.Because the protections around the fairy house went far beyond what most people knew.And if I explained them now, too many people would become aware of exactly how secur
When I stepped back, Iris was watching us quietly.There was longing in her expression. Careful and hidden, but unmistakable.My heart twisted.Because Iris had never truly had that.Not safety.Not unconditional love.Not someone who chose her before the world demanded proof she deserved it.Then Iris spoke again.Softly. Firmly.“I want to help.”Jason frowned immediately.“Iris—”“No.” She lifted her chin. “I’m serious.”There was steel beneath her calm now.“I know things.”She looked around the room, at all the adults trying to build strategies from fragments.“I know how they move people. How they classify them. Which children disappear first.”A pause.“And I know there are more.”The room went silent.“Many more.”Emory’s expression hardened.“You think there are additional locations?”“I know there are,” Iris corrected quietly. “The Beckers only handled part of it.”My blood ran cold.“How many?” Mr. Stait asked carefully.Iris hesitated.Then whispered—“Enough that they sto
Amber POVWhat followed was absolute chaos.Not the loud kind at first. Not shouting or panic.The kind of chaos born from too many truths colliding in the same room, each revelation splintering another illusion we had once believed was stable.My grandfather arrived less than an hour later.He entered Mr. Stait’s office with his usual composed authority, silver hair perfectly arranged, dark coat draped over one arm, expression carved into something unreadable. Yet I knew him too well not to notice the exhaustion beneath it.And beside him—To everyone’s surprise—Was Iris.Jason stood immediately.“What is she doing here?” he demanded, protectiveness sharpening every syllable.Iris did not flinch.She stepped fully into the room, shoulders straight despite her age, silver-blonde hair tied neatly behind her head. She looked too calm for a child who had survived what she had. Too composed.“She made the decision herself,” my grandfather said before anyone else could speak. “Mr. Stuart
Amber POVEmory was the one who broke the silence.He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to.“I don’t think we’re talking about a single family anymore.”The words shifted the ground beneath us.“We know the Vinnys couldn’t have orchestrated this alone,” he continued, pacing slowly now, his thoughts moving faster than his steps. “And the Beckers…”He shook his head.“They were support. Tools.”A pause.“I don’t even think they knew the full scope of what they were part of.”Mr. Stait frowned slightly.“You think they were expendable?”Emory nodded once.“A fallback. A shield. Something to burn when necessary.”The room fell quiet again.“This…” he added, looking at all of us now, “this looks like an organization.”Not a family.Not a rivalry.Something far more structured.“Someone—or several people—are trying to break the nation’s systems apart.”“The nation?” I echoed before I could stop myself.Emory turned to me.“Yes.”He gestured toward Mr. Sun, toward Jason, toward the invi
Adrian left the office, but not before stopping at the door. “You will regret ever standing in my way, Amber.” His voice was low. Controlled. Promising. Then he walked out. I remained standing in front of Grandfather’s desk, the Zoom meeting still active behind me. The screen displayed a gri
By day ten, my company was officially operational. Contracts were signed. Staff were onboarded. Security systems were fully integrated. The only position left to fill was my assistant. And that, somehow, felt like the most dangerous decision of all.
Once again, we were awakened by loud knocking at our door. Not hesitant. Not polite. Insistent. Jason was already sitting up before I fully opened my eyes. “I’ll get it,” he said quietly. I pushed myself upright, heart racing, and reached blindly for my phone on the nightstand. 7:02 a.m. Wh
As Jason gently woke Alex, I noticed something that made my spine straighten. Ms. Patric was holding a small recording device. Not just a tablet. A separate recorder. She turned it in her hand casually, but I saw the red indicator light. Without drawing attention to myself, I reached into the







