The cargo train carrying me across America felt like a time warp, twisting everything I thought I knew about myself. I'd broken my promise to Lianna, arriving in New York sooner than expected—not as Cassian, weary from Asia, but as Mr. North, propelled by pure panic. Arthur Ashworth's message about the child and accusations against Lianna's father, combined with the threat of a family purge, made all my priorities in Zurich seem insignificant.
My resolve was set: after securing the Valerian bunker, I would call her. But first, I had to deal with the ongoing attack in Singapore.
I slipped into the Syndicate's emergency office prepared by Agent D in New York, a small room beneath an old bank building. Ben, the trusted comms operator I left behind in Zurich, connected remotely.
"Lianna sen
