Nancy sat in the dim glow of her private study, the silence only broken by the rhythmic ticking of the antique clock on the wall. The storm outside lashed against the tall windows of Blackwood Mansion, as though the world outside mirrored the chaos within her.
Her fingers brushed over an old photograph—one buried deep in a folder Adrian had hidden years ago. It showed a younger Lucien, Camille… and Adrian, all laughing, arm in arm. It was taken during their university days—back when they were idealists, before the thirst for power changed everything.
Nancy's chest tightened. "So much for trust," she muttered.
A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
"Come in," she said.
Adrian entered, drenched from the rain. He looked tired—haunted even—but his presence still pulled something in her chest she wasn't ready to name.
"We have a problem," he said.
She raised a brow. "Just one?"
He handed her a file. "Lucas. We traced his comms. He's been feeding intel to Lucien for weeks."
Nancy's grip tightened on the file. "We trusted him."
"He's gone now. Disappeared two hours ago. Probably headed to Lucien."
Her mind raced. Lucas knew too much—locations, plans, and their next moves.
Adrian stepped closer. "We need to shift everything. You lead Zurich. I'll go after Lucas."
"No," Nancy said sharply. "This is my war, Adrian. I face it."
He frowned. "You don't have to carry all of it alone."
She looked up at him, voice steady. "I already am."
---
Zurich – Midnight
Nancy arrived at a private airstrip. The snow fell in gentle waves as she met with her Zurich operatives. Her code name—Queen's Blade—was whispered with respect, but tonight, she felt the weight of every decision pressing her lungs.
She walked into a secure vault. On the table: files on Lucien's latest plan—Project Serpent.
"This isn't just about Blackwood anymore," said her tech lead, Marco. "It's global. He's targeting medical AI networks next. Imagine what happens if he controls hospital systems, vaccines, treatments…"
Nancy's expression turned grim. "Then we end it. Now."
---
Meanwhile, in an abandoned cathedral in Vienna
Lucas knelt before Lucien, bleeding from a shallow wound on his temple.
"You failed," Lucien said coldly. "She's still five steps ahead."
"I gave you everything—her locations, passwords, the Zurich plan—"
"But not her mind," Lucien interrupted. "And that's the only thing that matters."
He turned to Camille. "Get the plane ready. We're going to Zurich."
Camille hesitated. "And Lucas?"
Lucien shrugged. "Useless now."
Camille didn't argue. But for the first time, her eyes lingered on Lucas longer than they should have.
---
Zurich – The Warning
Nancy stood on a rooftop, snow swirling around her like ghosts of the past. She had everything in place: the data, the traps, the backups.
But something gnawed at her.
"He's coming," she whispered. "And this time… he's not holding back."
She turned to Marco. "Get word to Adrian. Tell him to follow Camille, not Lucien."
"Camille?" Marco blinked. "Why?"
Nancy's voice was ice.
"Because she still has a conscience."
And sometimes, conscience is all you need to win a war.