The building didn’t look like a battlefield. That was the first problem. Glass exterior. Corporate signage. Late-night lights are still burning in scattered offices. Normal. Too normal.
Lucien stepped out of the car first, his movements calm, controlled, deliberate as always. But beneath that — Precision sharpened by expectation.
Aria followed. Her eyes didn’t linger on the building itself. They moved. Constantly. Scanning. Absorbing. Entrances. Reflections. Movement behind glass. Security rotations. Everything spoke. Even in silence. And something — Something here was wrong.
Her hand caught Lucien’s sleeve before he could take another step. He turned immediately. Always attentive to her touch. Her fingers moved quickly. “Too open.”
Lucien glanced at the building again. Then back at he
