Chapter 15 - The Corridor of FireThe hallway outside the penthouse was bathed in the red glow of emergency strobe lights. Smoke drifted lazily across the ceiling, smelling of cordite and burned wool.
Edmund moved with terrifying grace, his pistol held close to his chest as he cleared the corner of the west wing. Two more of Wu’s mercenaries stepped out from the alcove near the service elevators; Edmund’s gun barked twice before they could even lift their barrels.
Vivien followed step-for-step behind him, her back protected as they advanced down the long, carpeted corridor toward the security control room.
"The main server room is compromised," Vivien said, checking the tactical tablet she had grabbed from the desk. "They're trying to wipe the financial databases before the federal audit hits."
"Not on my watch," Edmund growled.
He kicked open the heavy oak door of the server room. Three men were standing around the central terminal, wires dangling from the main mainframe as data poured onto external flash drives.
The lead operative whipped around, raising a tactical shotgun—
Vivien didn't hesitate. She fired twice through the smoke, catching him square in the shoulder and spinning him hard against the server rack. Edmund swept the other two with clean, professional precision, neutralizing the threat before a single alarm could trip.
She walked over to the terminal, unplugged the flash drive with steady fingers, and slipped it into her pocket.
"Data secure," she looked up at Edmund. "The federal backups are safe. Wu's entire digital footprint in this city is ours."
Edmund looked at her—not as a traded bride, not as a collateral pawn, but as an equal partner in blood and steel.
May you like
"You realize what happens now, don't you?" Edmund asked, stepping closer until she could feel the heat radiating from his chest.
"We stop playing defense," Vivien whispered, a dangerous, brilliant smile spreading across her lips. "We take the fight straight to Arthur Wu."
