William pushed off the counter, straightening his jacket.
"I'll be back in 24 hours." His voice was steady, but there was something beneath it. A warning. A deadline.
Ava crossed her arms. "And if something happens before then?"
William's gaze flicked toward the hallway—toward her room, where Lucas was still unconscious.
Then—he met her eyes.
"Then don't let him break any further."
Ava didn't answer.
William didn't wait.
He turned on his heel, moving toward the exit, slipping into the shadows as if he had never been there in the first place.
The door clicked shut behind him.
Ava exhaled sharply, turning back toward her room.
She stepped inside, her eyes immediately landing on Lucas—still sprawled across her bed, still too still.
But his breathing was steady. Too steady.
Too controlled.
Ava's Blueprint System pulsed, already analyzing before she even gave the order.
[SCANNING TARGET…]
[TARGET: LUCAS BAI]
[SYSTEM TYPE: MONOPOLY APPRAISAL – ENHANCED]
