Alex reacted instantly, pulling Sonia away from the windows and toward the bedroom. His mind raced through possibilities—the shadow board's tactical team, his mother's operatives, his father's contingency plan activating. Any option meant danger.
"Back exit," he whispered, guiding her through the darkness with practiced ease. Years of visiting this apartment as his private sanctuary had made its layout as familiar as his own heartbeat.
They slipped into the bedroom just as the front door lock began to turn. Alex pressed his finger to his lips, then pointed to the vintage wardrobe against the far wall. Silently, they moved toward it.
The wardrobe's back panel slid aside, revealing a narrow maintenance passage that connected to the building's original service shaft—a feature Alex had d
