The sky above Manhattan was silver and impenetrable as the city solidified with sound and fury. In front of the Federal Courthouse, the crowd had gathered since before morning—media, paparazzi, civilians holding signs. Helicopter rotors thumped in the distance, cameras snapping like thunder, microphones thrust in front of anyone who would speak.But inside the courtroom, it was cold.Not temperature-wise.In tension.Kc Page remained beside the prosecution's table, charcoal suit, tight-fitting, shoulders rigid and straight, hands clasped behind him. To his left, Malcolm leaned against the rail of the gallery, all-black, laptop closed for once. Manager Kim, too, was there, reclining in the front row, dark circles under his eyes from sleepless nights.They waited.The courtroom doors swung open.Adrian St. Marc entered with two U.S. Marshals in tow. In orange, handcuffed, he was gaunt. Pale. His prison-close-cropped hair did nothing for his receding hairline. But his eyes shone with a s
Adrian laughed weakly, blood trickling down from his nose. "No, I prepared for this very thing. Now everyone will see what she forgot. What you buried.""What are you talking about?" Kc snapped."You think I stalked her only?" Adrian laughed, a maniacal glint in his eye. "Oh, no. I made her choose. That night. In that hotel. She didn't scream, Kc."Kc's fist came swiftly. Hard."SHUT UP!Kim yanked Kc back. "He's goading you!"Adrian's voice echoed off the trees."She will remember me, Kc. Not because I'm a monster… but because I made her feel something you never could."Kc stood in the doorway, drenched, shivering. Valeria sat up with a gasp."You found him?"Kc nodded. "Adrian is in custody. It's over."But his face said otherwise."Kc… what aren't you telling me?He did not answer immediately. He sat beside her, pulling the covers over her shoulders."He spoke of the hotel. Your evening there you'd forgotten. Something… beyond obsession."Valeria opened wide her eyes."I had a drea
8:47 P.M. — Page Mansion, Cyber Lab, New YorkThe air vibrated with urgency.Kc faced a large LED map that throbbed with GPS coordinates, Malcolm's team cracking encrypted layers one after the other. Dozens of glowing red pins scattered across the eastern seaboard. One blinked relentlessly. Blackridge Forest—a derelict compound near the edge of the state line.Malcolm spun from his console. "The signal was reflected off several towers, but this—this is where it starts. We've pinpointed it. We're not tracking a ghost anymore."Kc's jaw tightened. "What's the configuration?"Malcolm threw a switch.Schematics flooded the projector: A network of underground tunnels. Hidden entry. Steel-reinforced doors. Blind spots for surveillance."A fortress," Malcolm grunted. "But not unbreakable."Kc advanced. "Then we break it."Three black SUVs sped down a back service road. Kc loaded his Glock, tucked a knife into his boot, and nodded to the tactical team inside the lead car."We go silent. No me
1:18 PM – Page Mansion, Cyber Lab, New YorkThe storm raging outside pounded the high windows of the cyber lab like a threat. Inside, in pale-blue LED light and the hum of equipment, Malcolm's fingers flew across the keys, rage and desperation propelling his speed. His sharp eyes, behind frameless glasses, darted between lines of code and tracking maps.Kc Page stood behind him, hands clasped behind his back, jaw clenched. His whole body emitted one thing—tempered anger."I broke the code on Adrian's burner," Malcolm grunted. "And there was only one message. Sent just two hours prior to the wedding surveillance collapse."He struck a key.The screen pulsed with a solitary, chilling message.From: Muse.Halo"Understood. Will reroute her path to the east wing. Ten minutes. Just like we practiced.Kc's eyes narrowed. "That pseudonym. Muse.Halo.""Blocked IP," Malcolm repeated darkly. "Tried using foreign relays. But I tracked it. Here."He clicked again.A new image covered the screen.R
Too normal.Malcolm handed Kc an earpiece."He's not hiding. Not fleeing. He's either innocent. or crazy enough to fake it."Kc's tone was devoid of emotion. "I'll inquire. Once."4:31 p.m. – Cassian's Condo UnitKnock. Knock.Cassian opened the door and blinked in shock."Kc?"The CEO entered uninvited.Cassian's apartment was sparsely decorated. Clean. Sterile. Like a showroom."You should have left the footage logs alone," Kc spat.Cassian's smile faltered. "I don't know what you're talking about."Kc reached into his jacket, pulled out a flash drive, and plugged it into the nearest laptop.Evidence surfaced—Cassian in the wedding coordinator's tent at 9:42 p.m., inserting a thumb drive. A minute later, outside the powder room hallway cam distorted and went dark."I trusted you," Kc growled, his voice tight with anger. "You gave Adrian access."Cassian's face changed. Not into hysteria.Into. peace."I had my reasons.""You helped a stalker. An obsessive guy who had his sights set
8:07 a.m. – Page and Associates MansionThe morning air was tense—like the prelude to a storm.Kc stood by the kitchen island, barely touching the coffee in his cup. His eyes were still fixed on the flat screen on the wall before him.Malcolm entered through the foyer, phone extended."You have to see this. Now."Kc stood up to him slowly."I already feel the headache starting."Malcolm hit the remote.TV SCREEN: LIVE BREAKING NEWS – Channel 5".an exclusive leak amassed this morning demonstrates chilling evidence from Adrian St. Marc's house, the alleged stalker apprehended hours ago in a covert law enforcement sting."The screen crackled to cloudy images—a blurry video segment. Candles against the walls. Pictures of Valeria. The mannequin attired in her Milan catwalk dress.Then: a voiceover—Adrian himself reading—crooning from the tape recorder:"Entry 147: She still wears the scent I gave her. That means something. I'm still real."Kc's fist curled into a knot."They leaked the re