Moris Sinclair stared at the burning envelope, his grip tightening around the photo of Isabel.
She was asleep. Inside the safe house.
And yet, Julian had gotten close enough to take this picture.
That meant one thing.
Julian was already inside.
Moris turned on his heel and sprinted back down the stairs, his heart pounding like war drums.
Leo was waiting in the command center when he burst in.
"What happened?" Leo asked, eyes flicking to the crumpled photo in Moris's hand.
Moris slammed the picture onto the table. "Julian's inside."
Sarah, standing near the monitors, sucked in a breath. "That's impossible. We locked that place down."
Moris's voice was ice. "Then tell me how he got this picture."
No one spoke.
Then Leo spun back to his keyboard. His fingers flew over the keys, pulling up every security feed from the safe house.
Dozens of screens flickered to life.
Nothing.
Cameras showed the guards standing in place. Hallways were empty. Isabel was still in bed, sleeping peacefully.
"There's no breach," Leo muttered. "No motion sensors triggered. No sign of Julian anywhere."
Moris's stomach twisted.
"This was taken tonight," he said. "That means someone—inside—is working for him."
Sarah's eyes darkened. "A traitor."
Moris grabbed his gun. "Then we flush him out."
The Safe House Breach
The car ride was tense. Sarah, Leo, and two of Moris's best guards joined him.
Nobody spoke.
The safe house was an unassuming penthouse in a secure high-rise. No way Julian should have been able to get in.
Unless he was already inside.
Moris stepped out of the car, adrenaline burning through his veins. He motioned for his men to move.
Sarah walked ahead, scanning every shadow. "If Julian's inside, we're not leaving until we find him."
Moris nodded. "And if he touches Isabel—"
He didn't finish. He didn't need to.
They took the private elevator to the 50th floor. The doors slid open.
Everything was silent.
Too silent.
Moris stepped out, gun raised.
The lights flickered.
Leo whispered, "Something's wrong."
Then—
A gunshot.
The Ambush
The shot rang out from inside Isabel's room.
Moris ran.
Kicked open the door.
The scene inside made his blood turn cold.
Isabel was awake, sitting up in bed, eyes wide with terror.
Standing in front of her, gun raised—
One of Moris's own guards.
Moris didn't hesitate.
He pulled the trigger.
The guard dropped.
Isabel gasped, hands flying to her mouth. "Moris?"
He rushed to her, scanning her face. "Are you hurt?"
She shook her head, trembling. "I—I don't understand. Why was he—"
Leo crouched beside the fallen guard, checking his pockets. A phone.
He clicked it open. A single unread message.
From Julian Roth.
"Time to wake her up."
Moris's stomach twisted.
This wasn't just an attack.
This was a warning.
Julian wasn't done.
And next time—he wouldn't miss.