The forest was eerily silent after the explosion, the mist curling around Emily and Alexander like a ghostly cloak. Every sound—the crack of a branch, the distant rush of water—made her flinch. Her hands were trembling, the USB drive still burning a hole in her pocket. It was the key, the truth her mother had left behind, and possibly the reason the Knight family and Voss were relentless in their pursuit.
Alexander moved beside her, tall and imposing even in the dim morning light. His dark eyes were sharp, scanning the trees, every muscle coiled with the precision of a predator. He had always been dangerous, but now… now he was both protector and enigma. Emily didn't know where the man ended and the CEO began, and it terrified her.
"Emily," he said, his voice low and controlled, "we can't keep running forever. We need a plan."
Emily's jaw tightened. "A plan? You mean like the ones that trapped me before? Like the Knight family's games, or your so-called 'rescue' missions?"
