The city outside glimmered faintly through the windows of Damien Hayes’s penthouse office, but the lights and sounds of life below felt distant, almost irrelevant. Inside, the tension was palpable. Isabella Vicks sat rigidly at the desk, her fingers brushing over the USB drive that had changed everything.
Damien Hayes stood beside her, dark eyes focused on the laptop screen. His usual commanding presence was softened by the shadow of worry, but it made him seem… human in a way Isabella had rarely seen.
“Are you sure you want to do this now?” Damien asked, his voice low, almost hesitant.
Isabella took a deep breath. “We don’t have time to wait. Whoever is behind this isn’t going to stop, and I can’t… I can’t just sit back and wait for them to act.”
Damien’s jaw tightened. “You’re right.
