Bennett Cole did not walk across a lawn; he inspected terrain. Every step was measured, heel-to-toe, with the slow deliberation of a man who believed the earth rotated slightly slower out of respect for him. / Chapter 12 / 20

Chapter 12 - The Intruder in the Green HouseThe greenhouse at the far end of the east courtyard was filled with rare orchids and thick, humid air that smelled of damp soil and blooming jasmine. At night, it was a dark labyrinth of glass panels and twisting vines.

Julian moved through the shadows like a ghost, his footsteps completely silent on the wet paving stones. Camille flanked him to his left, her movements fluid and lethal, while Rex patrolled the perimeter to the right, his massive shoulders brushing against the oversized ferns.

A faint metallic click echoed near the back wall.

Julian raised a hand, signaling a halt.

Through the steamy glass panels, a single figure stood illuminated by the pale moonlight. It wasn't a mercenary with an assault rifle or a tactical team wearing night-vision gear. It was a woman wearing a tailored emerald-green trench coat, her blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun, holding a small, encrypted flash drive over the automated watering system control box.

"I wouldn't touch that data port if I were you," Julian said smoothly, stepping out from behind a massive banana palm. "The water in this greenhouse is treated with a very high concentration of fertilizer. It stains silk coats quite permanently."

The woman froze. She didn't drop the flash drive, but she slowly turned around.

In the moonlight, her face was striking—sharp cheekbones, cold blue eyes, and a mouth painted the color of dried blood. She looked at Julian, then at Camille, and finally down at the seventy-pound Belgian Malinois staring directly at her throat.

"Julian Ashworth," she said, her voice dripping with a chilly, sophisticated European accent. "I must admit, rumor had it you only kept stray dogs and maids around nowadays. I didn't expect the legendary syndicate boss to handle his own night patrols."

"And I didn't expect the board of Vanguard Logistics to send a high-ranking executive to do a field agent's dirty work," Julian replied, closing the distance slowly. "Who are you? And what do you want with Vance's old routing codes?"

"My name is Helena Voss," the woman said, her chin lifting defiantly. "And I don't care about Vance. He was a greedy amateur. I care about the data he stole from us—data that your new partner, Salvatore, is currently using to dismantle our entire European operation."

Camille stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she studied the emerald coat. "Voss... You're Heinrich Voss's daughter. The shipping magnate from Hamburg who supplies half the black-market arms in the North Sea."

Helena’s blue eyes flicked toward Camille with a sudden flash of recognition and disdain. "And you must be Camille Rivera. The brilliant logistics officer who disappeared from the Balkans after the Lyon incident. My father spent three years looking for you."