The name on the phone meant nothing at first.
Just a single character—“R.” But the chill that swept through Alina’s spine told her it wasn’t Roth.
It was worse.
Nicholas’s jaw clenched as he stared at the screen. “It’s her.”
Alina tilted her head. “Who is she?”
He didn’t answer.
The air shifted. Cold. Dense. As if a ghost had walked through the room.
Nicholas turned away from her, stepping to the floor-to-ceiling window. His fingers pressed against the glass as he said, “A mistake I made before ThorneCorp ever existed. She knew who I was before I even knew myself.”
Alina didn’t flinch. “A lover?”
He hesitated. Then, “A weapon.”
The phone buzzed again. This time, an image.
A woman in red. Sharp eyes. Long black hair. A smirk Alina could already hate.
Caption: “The game’s only ju
