Bremlingen, a few days ago.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Étienne stood imposing, his voice slicing through the heavy air as Elijah Eaton and his ever-present loyal dog, Ilya Lennox, halted mid-stride. The two men looked like schoolboys caught sneaking out; guilty, anxious, and too proud to admit it. Étienne's eyes narrowed, taking in their untidy haste and the unease flickering across their faces.
Reports from his own men had reached him only minutes before, that Elijah and Ilya, plotting without his consent, had tried to push forward a reckless scheme, one that not only defied his explicit orders but also threatened to unravel years of careful planning. If their identities were exposed, everything they'd worked for would be destroyed.
