The warehouse fell silent as Elena's words hung in the air like a blade suspended by a thread.
James stood motionless, his weapon still trained on Elena, his mind racing through the implications of what she had just revealed. Someone else. Someone who had been pulling the strings from the beginning. Someone who was closer than he thought.
"Closer than I think," James repeated, his voice cold. "What does that mean?"
Elena's smile didn't waver. "It means you've been looking in the wrong direction. You've been chasing shadows, James. But the person you should be looking for has been standing in plain sight."
Harper moved to James's side, her voice sharp. "You're lying. You're trying to divide us."
Elena shook her head slowly. "I'm trying to help you. You think I'm the enemy, but I'm just
