Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 191 - Chapitre 200

Alexander The last sentence stayed in Elara’s mind. She could hear Vivian breathing behind her and the faint scrape of Salvatore’s restraints, but none of it distracted her from the accusation. “Prove it,” Elara said. The figure did not react with surprise. “You want proof?” “I want something more than words.” “Fair enough.” They moved toward a battered table and rested one hand against its surface. “Your first modeling agency was not supposed to sign you.” Elara’s expression changed. “You had been rejected twice,” the figure continued. “Your photographs were considered promising, but your measurements did not fit what the agency wanted at the time. Then your booking agent, Marcus Hale, suddenly changed his mind after receiving a call from someone he never identified.” Elara remembered Marcus. She had spent months believing he had recognized something in her that others had missed. “How do you know that?” “Because I arranged the call.” Her stomach tightened. “That is n

Alexander pov Alexander stood outside the abandoned building with his attention fixed on the narrow opening between two broken panels near the rear entrance. He had followed Elara’s coordinates despite her explicit instruction to stay away, and he knew she would be furious if they both survived the night. A small team waited behind him, each man positioned where he could move without drawing attention. Marco stood at Alexander’s right, studying the building’s exterior and the security measures they had identified during their approach. “There are fewer guards than expected,” Marco whispered. “That does not make this safer.” “No. It makes it stranger.” Alexander kept his eyes on the opening. Salvatore was not the person in control. That fact alone unsettled him. For months, Salvatore had appeared to be the center of the threats surrounding Elara. Every investigation had led toward him, directly or indirectly. Alexander had believed that removing Salvatore would finally expose

Elara The figure stepped closer, and Elara forced herself to remain still. Salvatore’s body lay several feet away, while Vivian remained bound beside her. The room had changed since the gunshot, but the danger had not disappeared. It had become clearer. “Now that the unnecessary complications have been removed, let’s discuss what I actually brought you here to offer.” Elara kept her eyes on the figure. “An offer?” “A proposition.” The figure gestured toward the chair opposite her. “You have spent the last year believing that everything was designed to destroy you. That was never the objective.” Elara’s stomach tightened. “Then what was?” “To find out who you would become when destruction was no longer an option.” The figure continued, “You survived David. You survived Vincent. You survived every attempt to isolate you from the people who mattered. You adapted when your circumstances changed, learned when information was withheld, and continued building influence when most peo

Elara The fire had already consumed most of the upper floor by the time Elara reached the vehicles, and smoke was spreading across the property while Alexander’s team worked quickly to secure the surrounding area. Several men checked the building perimeter, while others moved between the vehicles to account for everyone who had been involved in the rescue. “Everyone is out,” Marco reported after completing another headcount. Elara looked toward the burning building before turning back to him. “No one from our side is missing?” “No one.” She released a breath she had not realized she was holding. Salvatore was dead, the surviving guards had been restrained, Vivian was alive, and Alexander was standing beside her. Yet none of that felt like a victory because the person responsible for so much of their suffering had escaped. Worse, that person had stood before them, watched the building burn, and walked away without showing the slightest indication of fear. Elara could still rem

Alexander The room remained silent after Elara read the message. Alexander watched her expression change before she lowered the phone and placed it on the table. “What does it say?” he asked. “The vote is next week.” She looked at him. “And the person from the warehouse requested observer status.” Alexander moved closer. “Under what name?” “That is what they attached to the notification.” She turned the screen toward him. The name stopped him. For several seconds, he did not speak. He recognized the surname, but recognition alone was not enough to explain why his pulse had suddenly accelerated. “Where have you seen that name?” Elara asked. “My family records.” Marco stepped closer. “You know who it is?” “I know the family.” Alexander picked up his phone and began searching through encrypted Commission archives. His knowledge of Commission history had always been extensive, partly because his father had spent decades moving through its inner circles. Alexander knew the nam