The realization that she was entirely out of time didn't paralyze Avery; it turned her into something far more dangerous.
The terrifying gravity in Jake’s molten gold eyes during their silent standoff in the courtyard had thoroughly stripped away her illusions. He knew. He hadn’t deciphered the whole truth yet—she would have been in silver chains already if he had—but he had uncolored a part of her map. Her physical surveillance mandate was no longer a shield; it was a countdown. If she remained reactive, waiting for him to piece together the fragments of Sector Seven, he would eventually find the name that would seal Leo’s execution.
She had to strike first. She had to eliminate the evidence before he could fully read it.
At exactly 2:15 PM, during the True Alpha prince's mandatory phy
