The First Move

‎Elena Vale stared at the phone in her hand long after the message had been delivered.

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‎You weren’t supposed to touch her.

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‎The words glowed coldly on the screen before the message status shifted to sent.

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‎For a moment, the apartment was silent except for the faint hum of electronics and the distant noise of traffic outside the window.

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‎Elena slowly lowered the phone onto the desk.

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‎Her heart wasn’t racing.

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‎Her breathing wasn’t panicked.

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‎Instead, a familiar calm settled over her mind—the same cold focus that had guided her through every risky job she had ever taken.

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‎Because panic didn’t solve problems.

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‎Strategy did.

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‎And right now, Emily was the problem.

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‎Or rather… Emily had become the leverage.

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‎Elena leaned back in her chair and ran a hand through her short dark hair, staring at the glowing laptop screen in front of her. Lines of encrypted data scrolled slowly across the monitor, reflecting faintly in her sharp eyes.

‎

‎Victor Laurent had taken the wrong girl.

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‎But knowing Victor, he would figure that out soon enough.

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‎Which meant two things.

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‎One—Emily was alive.

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‎Two—Emily was now valuable.

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‎Elena exhaled slowly.

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‎“Good,” she murmured.

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‎Because if Victor Laurent thought Emily knew something…

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‎He wouldn’t kill her.

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‎Not yet.

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‎That bought Elena time.

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‎And time was all she needed.

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‎Her fingers moved across the keyboard with quiet precision as she opened several secure programs at once. Screens flickered to life, each displaying maps, code, and encrypted networks.

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‎Victor Laurent’s security system appeared on one of the monitors like a fortress made of digital steel.

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‎Layered firewalls.

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‎Encrypted channels.

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‎Private satellite links.

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‎The kind of system that made even experienced hackers hesitate.

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‎Elena tilted her head slightly as she studied the structure.

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‎“Impressive,” she admitted quietly.

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‎But not impossible.

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‎Her fingers began to type.

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‎Slowly at first.

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‎Testing.

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‎Probing.

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‎She wasn’t trying to crash the system. That would be amateurish. Instead, she moved carefully through smaller access points—traffic cameras, encrypted routers, security relays.

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‎Like a thief feeling for the weakness in a lock.

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‎Somewhere inside that network would be the location of Victor’s estate.

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‎And somewhere inside that estate…

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‎Emily.

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‎Elena’s jaw tightened.

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‎“You’d better still be alive,” she whispered.

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‎Then she pushed deeper into the system.

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‎Across the city, deep inside Victor Laurent’s estate, the quiet control room suddenly erupted with a sharp warning tone.

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‎One of the technicians looked up from his monitor.

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‎“Sir?”

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‎Victor Laurent stood near the far wall, reviewing a series of reports on a tablet when the alert flashed across the main screen.

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‎Unauthorized access attempt detected.

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‎His eyes narrowed.

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‎“Trace it,” he said calmly.

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‎The technician began typing rapidly.

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‎“Whoever this is… they’re bypassing the first firewall.”

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‎Victor stepped closer to the monitor, watching the digital activity carefully.

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‎The intrusion was subtle.

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‎Controlled.

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‎Whoever was behind it wasn’t smashing through the system like a brute force hacker.

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‎They were slipping between the layers.

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‎Testing defenses.

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‎Learning.

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‎Victor’s expression darkened slightly.

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‎He already knew.

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‎“Elena Vale,” he said quietly.

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‎The technician glanced at him. “You know the hacker?”

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‎Victor didn’t answer immediately.

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‎His eyes remained fixed on the screen.

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‎“She’s looking for her sister.”

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‎Another alert flashed.

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‎“Sir,” the technician said nervously, “she’s attempting to access the external camera network.”

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‎Victor folded his arms.

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‎“Let her try.”

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‎The technician blinked. “Sir?”

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‎Victor’s voice remained calm.

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‎“I want to see how she works.”

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‎Because anyone bold enough to hack directly into his system…

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‎Was either desperate.

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‎Or extremely confident.

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‎Neither made Elena Vale harmless.

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‎Upstairs, Emily Vale had reached her limit.

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‎The room Victor had moved her into was luxurious.

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‎Soft lighting.

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‎Large windows.

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‎Elegant furniture.

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‎But none of that changed what it really was.

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‎A cage.

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‎Emily stood near the window, staring out at the endless stretch of green lawn beyond the estate walls.

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‎Her thoughts kept circling back to one person.

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‎Elena.

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‎If her sister knew she was missing…

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‎She would be looking.

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‎And if Elena came looking…

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‎Victor would find her.

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‎Emily’s stomach twisted.

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‎No.

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‎She couldn’t just sit here and wait.

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‎Her eyes drifted toward the door.

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‎Two guards outside.

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‎But earlier, when they brought food, one of them had stepped away briefly.

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‎A gap.

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‎A moment.

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‎Maybe enough.

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‎Emily grabbed the jacket hanging on the chair and slipped it on before quietly opening the door.

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‎The hallway beyond was empty.

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‎Her pulse quickened.

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‎One step.

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‎Then another.

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‎She moved carefully down the corridor, her bare feet silent against the polished floor.

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‎Stairs.

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‎She remembered seeing stairs.

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‎Her heart pounded as she reached them and hurried downward.

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‎At the bottom, the large entrance doors stood just ahead.

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‎Sunlight spilled through the glass panels.

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‎Freedom.

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‎Emily pushed one door open and stepped outside.

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‎Fresh air filled her lungs.

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‎For the first time since the nightmare began, she felt the open sky above her.

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‎She walked quickly toward the gate—

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‎“Planning a walk?”

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‎The voice behind her stopped her cold.

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‎Emily turned slowly.

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‎Victor Laurent stood several feet away on the stone pathway, his dark suit perfectly composed, his expression calm.

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‎“How long were you standing there?” she demanded.

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‎“Long enough.”

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‎Anger surged through her chest.

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‎“You said I wasn’t your prisoner!”

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‎Victor walked toward her slowly.

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‎“You’re not.”

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‎“Then why stop me?”

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‎He stopped a few feet away.

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‎“Because leaving would get you killed.”

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‎Emily laughed bitterly.

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‎“That’s convenient.”

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‎Victor didn’t argue.

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‎Instead, he gestured toward the iron gate at the far end of the driveway.

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‎“Look.”

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‎Emily frowned but followed his gaze.

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‎At first she saw nothing.

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‎Then—

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‎A vehicle parked across the road.

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‎A black SUV.

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‎Her stomach tightened.

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‎“That car…” she whispered.

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‎“They’ve been there since this morning,” Victor said calmly.

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‎Emily turned back toward him slowly.

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‎“They’re not yours?”

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‎“No.”

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‎The realization settled like ice in her chest.

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‎Someone else was watching.

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‎Someone bold enough to watch Victor Laurent’s estate.

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‎Victor studied her expression.

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‎“Do you understand now?”

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‎Her voice was quieter.

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‎“You’re telling the truth.”

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‎“I usually do.”

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‎Emily looked back at the SUV.

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‎For the first time since arriving here…

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‎She wasn’t sure leaving was the safer option.

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‎Back in the control room, the technician leaned forward suddenly.

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‎“Sir—she almost breached the camera network.”

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‎Victor watched the screen carefully.

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‎The flashing intrusion icon hovered dangerously close to gaining access.

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‎Elena was good.

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‎Better than most.

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‎“Impressive,” Victor murmured.

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‎Then the system defense activated.

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‎The connection severed instantly.

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‎The intrusion vanished.

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‎The technician exhaled.

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‎“She’s gone.”

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‎Victor’s gaze remained fixed on the screen.

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‎“No,” he said quietly.

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‎“She’s still out there.”

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‎And now she knew he was watching.

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‎Victor returned to his office later that evening.

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‎A file waited on his desk.

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‎The kidnapping report.

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‎He opened it slowly.

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‎Everything about the operation was precise.

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‎Too precise.

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‎The intel that had led them to Emily Vale had been exact.

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‎The location.

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‎The timing.

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‎The identification.

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‎And yet…

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‎It had been wrong.

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‎Victor leaned back in his chair, studying the documents again.

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‎Mistakes like this didn’t happen in his organization.

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‎Not unless someone wanted them to.

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‎His eyes darkened slightly.

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‎Someone inside his own empire might have fed him false information.

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‎He didn’t say the thought aloud.

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‎But the possibility lingered in his mind like a shadow.

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‎His phone buzzed suddenly.

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‎Victor picked it up.

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‎Unknown number.

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‎He opened the message.

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‎Three words appeared on the screen.

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‎Release my sister.

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‎Victor stared at the words for a long moment.

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‎Then slowly—

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‎He smiled.

‎