ADRIANO POV
"Show me," I commanded.
My voice was a low, jagged rasp in the quiet confines of the sedan, the heat from our lips still lingering in the narrow space between us. Serena didn’t hesitate. She turned her hand over, tilting the glowing glass of her device toward my face.
Four words. Strict, monochrome text against a black background.
Don't go up alone.
I didn’t offer a comforting word. I didn't soften my grip. I took the phone directly from her palm, my thumb already hitting the side triggers of my own secure line to snap a high-resolution photograph of the encrypted transmission screen. Within three seconds, the raw data packet was routed through our private satellite uplink, bypassing standard cellular relays straight to our primary terminal in New York.
I handed her phone
