CHAPTER NINETY-ONE
The Guardian's Trigger
The black lake churned as the metal platform rose higher, the spare daughter strapped to the chair, oxygen mask fogged, eyes wide with terror. The young guardian stood on the shore, rifle trembling in her hands, tears cutting clean lines down her smoke-stained face.
The sunrise had reached its full height, turning the water into liquid gold and the entire scene into a live spectacle for the cameras still rolling at the valley’s edge.
Elena raised both hands slowly, voice steady despite the chaos.
“She’s your sister. My daughter. Yours and Jax’s. Don’t let Victoria make you the one who pulls the trigger. Lower the rifle. We can save her together. The circle is big enough for both of you. We don’t have to choose blood over love.”
The guardian’s
