The first agent through the door had kind eyes.
That was what Aria noticed before anything else. Not the weapon, not the badge, not the backup team flooding in behind him. Just eyes that looked genuinely concerned rather than threatening.
"Dr. Vale, my name is Agent Sarah Chen. FBI. I'm here to help you."
"That's what they always say," Sophie replied, positioning herself protectively between the agent and her family.
Behind Agent Chen, another team burst through the rear entrance. These wore no identifying badges, their tactical gear completely black, their faces harder.
"Dr. Vale, you need to come with us." The lead operative's voice was flat, professional. "You're wanted for questioning regarding national security breaches."
Agent Chen turned to face the tactical team, her weapon l
