CHAPTER 25

The office felt different after the message.

Not louder.

Not chaotic.

Quieter.

Aaron watched Kael stand by the window, phone still in his hand, city lights reflecting faintly against the glass. He hadn’t spoken in almost two minutes.

That was never good.

“They said take,” Aaron said finally. “Not lose.”

Kael didn’t turn. “I know.”

Silence settled again.

Aaron stepped closer. Which means they know where she is, Or at least who has her

Kael’s jaw tightened once.

It also means, Aaron added carefully, “she didn’t escape them.”

Now Kael turned.

Slowly.

His face wasn’t angry. It was focused.

They didn’t say daughter by mistake, Kael said. And they didn’t threaten. They accused.

Aaron felt that.

Accused.

Like something valuable had been removed from its owner.

Kael walked back to his desk and placed the phone down gently.

“Shut down external access,” he said. “Internal security only. No one leaves without my word.”

Aaron nodded.

Then Kael added, “I’m going to speak to her.”

—

Vera felt it before he entered.

The guards outside her room shifted. Steps quieter. Positions tighter.

Something had changed.

When the door opened, she was already standing by the window.

Ready.

Kael stepped inside alone and closed the door.

No greeting.

No wasted words.

“There’s increased security,” she said.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

He moved around the room slowly, eyes taking in everything. Not searching. Calculating.

“Someone contacted me,” he said. “They believe I took something that belongs to them.”

Her expression didn’t change.

“I don’t belong to anyone.”

“I agree,” he said. “They don’t.”

That made her pause.

“And Lina?” she asked.

“She’s safe.”

Relief crossed her face before she could hide it.

“You’re using her.”

“Yes.”

No apology.

Just truth.

He stopped in front of her.

“If they come,” she said, “it won’t be loud.”

“Then it won’t be merciful.”

The air felt tight.

He studied her carefully. “If you’re hiding something that affects this estate, decide soon whether you trust me with it.”

That was not a request.

He turned to leave.

Then paused.

“They will come,” he said calmly. “Not maybe. Not eventually. They will.”

He stepped closer again.

“When they do, you will choose your position carefully.”

Her chin lifted.

“If you stand against me…” His voice stayed level. “…I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

No emotion.

No drama.

Just fact.

She searched his face.

There was nothing soft there.

He meant it.

Not because he wanted to hurt her.

Because in his world, hesitation cost lives.

Silence stretched between them.

She didn’t step back.

That mattered.

He gave one short nod, like something had been decided, and walked out.

—

Aaron was waiting in the corridor.

“Well?”

“She knows more than she’s saying.”

Aaron exhaled. “Of course she does.”

They returned to the office.

Kael picked up his phone again, staring at the message.

Found something. Not a name. A program. Military-adjacent. Off the books. Tied to disappearances.

Aaron leaned against the desk. “Military-adjacent means funding without accountability. Off the books means no oversight. Disappearances mean they’ve done this before.”

Kael nodded once. “And they said take. Not steal. Not kidnap.”

“Take,” Aaron repeated. “Like retrieval.”

“Yes.”

Silence filled the room again.

“If they built her,” Kael said quietly, “then they won’t stop.”

Aaron felt that one.

“And if they think you stole their property?”

Kael’s eyes hardened. “Then they made a mistake.”

The lights flickered.

Both men looked up.

It happened again.

Then everything went dark.

Total blackout.

Aaron reached for his weapon instantly. “Backup generators should—”

A gunshot echoed through the estate.

Not outside the gates.

Inside.

Another shot.

Closer.

Aaron moved toward the door, but Kael grabbed his arm.

“Wait.”

Footsteps thundered down the hallway. Shouting. Then silence.

Emergency lights kicked in, dim red washing over the office.

Aaron’s phone buzzed.

He checked it.

External grid interference. Power override. Not random.

“This is coordinated,” Aaron said.

Kael was already moving.

“Secure Vera,” he ordered.

Aaron paused. “You think she’s the target?”

Kael’s expression was unreadable. “No.”

Another gunshot rang out.

Closer this time.

A scream followed.

Short.

Cut off.

Aaron’s stomach tightened.

The office door burst open.

One of the guards stumbled in, bleeding from the shoulder.

“They’re inside,” he said. “They knew the layout.”

Kael didn’t hesitate. “Lock the lower wings. Funnel them to the central corridor.”

“They’re not heading for exits,” the guard added. “They’re moving inward.”

Of course they were.

Kael stepped into the hallway, red lights flashing over marble floors now marked with blood.

This wasn’t a warning.

This was retrieval.

Another explosion shook the east wing.

Dust fell from the ceiling.

Aaron moved beside him. “If they think she’s property—”

“They’re wrong,” Kael said flatly.

They turned the corner.

Two bodies lay near the stairwell.

Their men.

Professional hits. Clean shots.

Not reckless attackers.

Trained.

Kael’s phone vibrated again.

Unknown number.

He answered without speaking.

A voice came through. Calm. Distorted.

“You were warned.”

Kael’s grip tightened slightly.

“She does not belong to you,” the voice continued. “She was never yours to keep.”

Gunfire echoed somewhere behind them.

Aaron signaled more guards forward.

Kael’s voice remained steady. “You stepped inside my walls.”

A quiet chuckle came through the line.

“You misunderstand. We are not inside your walls.”

The line went dead.

Kael lowered the phone slowly.

Another explosion.

Not distant.

Below them.

The floor trembled.

Aaron’s eyes widened. “That’s the holding level.”

Where Lina was kept.

Kael’s face changed.

Not panic.

Not fear.

Something colder.

“They’re not here for Vera,” Aaron realized.

Kael’s jaw set.

“No,” he said quietly.

Another gunshot cracked through the corridor.

Closer.

Very close.

From the direction of Vera’s room.

Kael turned sharply.

And for the first time that night—

He ran.