登入Avery’s POV
The pine barrens eventually gave way to the rugged, quiet coastline of Maine. The secure cabin Jameson had found for us wasn't a sprawling glass mansion like the ones in New York or Zurich. It was built of weathered cedar and stone, tucked into a grove of birch trees where the only sound was the steady, rhythmic crash of the Atlantic against the cliffs below.There were no stock tickers here. No high-frequency trading algorithms, no flashing red alerts, andAvery’s POV I sat at the small wooden desk in the corner. Caspian was already asleep. I could hear his deep, even breathing from the bed. I turned on the small lamp. The yellow light glowed on the blank paper in front of me.I picked up a pen. My hand shook just a little bit.I needed to write this. I needed to say goodbye to the version of Avery who lived in the city. I needed to tell her that we made it out."Dear Avery," I wrote.I looked at the words. They looked lonely on the page. I took a deep breath and kept going."The war is over now. You don't have to run anymore. You don't have to hide in the dark. You can keep the lights on at night."I stopped and looked out the window. The rain blurred the glass. I thought about the cold hallways of the Sterling mansion. I thought about the fear I felt every time a door opened. All of that felt like a dream now. It felt like it happened to someone else.
Avery’s POV The morning sun was warm on my face. The fog had cleared completely.I stood on the porch of the cedar cabin, breathing in the fresh air. Below the cliffs, the blue ocean waves crashed gently against the grey rocks. The sound was like music. It was steady and calm. It did not sound like danger.I looked down at the grass. A small path led from the cabin down to the old timber barn.A truck rumbled down the dirt driveway. It was loud, but it did not frighten me. It was not the black SUVs of the Swiss bank. It was a rusty red pickup truck from the village. Two men in flannel shirts got out. They carried heavy toolboxes and levels. They were the contractors Caspian had hired to fix the old barn."Morning, Ms. Woods," the older contractor called out. He tipped his cap to me."Morning, Thomas," I smiled back.It felt strange to hear my name used so normally. To these men, I wasn't the heir to a fallen corpor
Avery’s POVThe pine barrens eventually gave way to the rugged, quiet coastline of Maine. The secure cabin Jameson had found for us wasn't a sprawling glass mansion like the ones in New York or Zurich. It was built of weathered cedar and stone, tucked into a grove of birch trees where the only sound was the steady, rhythmic crash of the Atlantic against the cliffs below.There were no stock tickers here. No high-frequency trading algorithms, no flashing red alerts, and no boardrooms.I stood at the kitchen window, watching the morning fog roll off the water. The air smelled of salt, pine, and the damp earth of early spring. In my hands, I held a warm mug of tea, my fingers tracing the ceramic rim. For the first time in as long as I could remember, my hands weren't shaking.A soft rustle of fabric sounded from the hallway, followed by the slow, uneven thud of footsteps.Caspian walked into the kitchen. He wore a thick, gray cable-knit
Avery’s POVOn the screen, billions of dollars did not just transfer. They vanished. The numbers dropped to zero, row by row, like lights going out across a city street. The Swiss bank’s primary accounts were empty. The hidden cash that had funded hitmen, bought judges, and started corporate wars for twenty years was gone."It's done," I whispered. My hand was still resting on the cool plastic button.The heavy, warm air of the bunker felt completely still. The hum of the computer fans was the only sound left. I looked down at my palms. They were dry now, but the stains of mud and old blood were still etched into the lines of my skin. For the first time in my life, my chest didn't feel tight. The heavy weight of the Woods name—the expectations, the guilt, the shadow of my father—had burned away with the data."Avery."I turned around. Caspian was leaning against the concrete wall at the entrance of the office. He had wrapped a clean,
Avery’s POVThe silence that followed the gunshots was absolute. The static from the dead radios fizzled out into the cold, damp air, leaving only the steady, rhythmic patter of rain striking the pine needles above us."Vance," I whispered, my voice trembling as I tightened my grip on Caspian's shoulders. "Are they down?""They’re down," Vance rasped. He dropped to one knee in the mud, checking the perimeter with his weapon still raised. His silhouette was a dark, jagged shadow against the deep black of the forest. "But they aren't the only ones out here. That circle of lights we saw from the air—that was a full perimeter. We have maybe ten minutes before the secondary team realizes their comms went dark."I looked down at Caspian. His head was resting against my collarbone, his breathing shallow but clear of the rattling gasp that had terrified me in the sky. The silver jammer was still clutched tightly in his hand.I lifted my eyes
Avery’s POV The engine stopped. The silence that followed was louder than any noise.The main rotor blades slowed down instantly. They made a heavy, dragging whap-whap-whap sound in the wet air. We were not flying anymore. We were falling out of the sky. The dark canopy of the pine barrens rushed up to meet us like a solid green floor."Brace! Brace!" Vance yelled from the cockpit. He threw his arms over his face.I gripped Caspian tightly. I pulled his limp body against my chest and tucked my head down low over his shoulder. I closed my eyes and held my breath, waiting for the impact.The trees hit us first.CRUNCH.The helicopter smashed violently through the thick pine branches. The thin metal walls of the cabin screamed as the wood tore into them. Glass from the windshield shattered into a thousand tiny pieces, raining down on us like a storm of ice. The ship spun in a wild, uncontrolled circle, throwing m
Caspian’s POV Hector actually walked into my office one afternoon. Just walked in. Usually, he stayed far away, only talking to me if he absolutely had to. So when my assistant told me he was waiting, I was genuinely surprised.He came in looking… almost normal. Not the scared mouse he'd been sinc
Avery’s POV The memory of the attack still clung to me like a bad dream. I’d spent the night at Desmond’s, barely sleeping, every creak of the floorboards making me jump. He’d made me some weak tea and just let me talk, absorbing all my fear and confusion.He came into the living room, where I was
Avery’s POVMy phone buzzed on the kitchen counter while I was making pancakes the next morning, the caller ID flashing Jasmine’s name. A knot of dread tightened in my stomach. Part of me wanted to ignore the call, to pretend I hadn’t seen it. But another, angrier part of me wanted to know what she
Caspian’s POVThe ink on the acquisition papers was barely dry before the changes started. Woods’ Enterprise was mine now, Sterling Enterprises’ newest holding. Stepping into what used to be Hector’s corner office, I took a slow breath. His cheap cologne still faintly lingered. Time to air this pla







