The night draped the Costa estate in an eerie stillness. A silence not born of peace but of waiting. The kind that coils in the shadows, breath held, anticipating the strike.
Far from Adrian’s study and Valentina’s guarded quarters, a phone buzzed softly in the west wing. Cassian, Adrian’s most trusted lieutenant, glanced at the screen and felt his stomach knot. The name that flashed across it wasn’t unfamiliar, but its timing was sinister.
Unknown Caller.
Three rings. A code they hadn’t used in years.
Urgent. Deadly.
He answered with a sharp breath. “I’m listening.”
A distorted voice spoke, low and clipped. “They’ve moved. Warehouse 17. She’s the target. It happens tonight.”
Cassian didn’t ask who she was. He already knew.
He moved fast, cold panic threading through his limbs. Thi
