~097 A Fire of Her OwnThe tension in the Zurich compound was almost tangible, like the moment before lightning struck.Mirabel stood in the war room, her knuckles white as they clenched the file folder Kai had failed to mention. The one that tied him to Elias, to Elena, to the entire lead-up to the ambush."I need you to explain," she said.Kai sat across from her, a bandage over his left eye, still pale from the gas exposure. He didn't look away."I wanted to stop them," he said simply. "Not report. Not alert. Just... stop it."Mirabel's voice dropped to a dangerously calm tone. "You lied, compromised the mission, nearly got Avery killed, and let Elena trap us.""I know.""You betrayed us, Kai."He finally looked up, the exhaustion in his eyes edged with regret. "I betrayed me first."She blinked."I thought," he said, "if I could fix this alone, I wouldn't need to rely on anyone. But I was wrong. I underestimated Elena. I underestimated what this place could become."Mirabel exhal
Last Updated : 2025-12-13 Read more