The air inside the operations room felt different now.
Heavier. Sharper.
Alive with something neither Damien Hayes nor Isabella Vicks could ignore anymore.
This was no longer about cleaning up the remnants of Marcus Vale’s empire.
This was something bigger.
Something far more calculated.
And for the first time since everything began—
They weren’t chasing shadows.
They had been seen.
Damien stood in front of the main screen, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the frozen image from the video Astra had sent. Though the face was hidden, the presence lingered—cold, deliberate, and terrifyingly confident.
Isabella leaned against the table behind him, her fingers gripping the edge as she tried to steady her breathing.
“They knew exactly when to reach out,” she said quietly.
Damien nodded. “N
