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The audio file on Marina’s phone was timestamped three minutes ago. Ignacio’s thumb hovered over the screen, trembling so violently he nearly dropped the device into the crib. / Chapter 17 / 20

Chapter 17 - The Bridge of Reckoning

The wind whipped across the steel girders of the East End bridge, howling like a lost soul. In the center of the span sat a sleek, black armored SUV, its hazard lights blinking an erratic orange rhythm against the rain.

Standing beside the vehicle was a tall man in an expensive tailored suit, holding an umbrella, flanked by two armed operatives in tactical gear.

"Ignacio," the man called out, his voice carrying clearly over the wind. "I am Director Vance’s superior, Director Cole. You’ve been a persistent thorn in our side."

Ignacio stopped thirty paces away, his hand resting protectively over April’s back. "You killed my wife. You turned my daughter into a target."

"We preserved human progress," Cole corrected smoothly, taking a slow step forward. "Marina was a visionary scientist who lacked perspective. Hand over the child and the data stream, and we ensure you and your family live out your lives in total luxury anywhere in the world."

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Isabella’s artificial tears gleamed under the soft golden chandeliers of the private VIP suite, her hands trembling with a performance worthy of a grand stage. She gestured wildly toward Khloe, who lay crumpled on the cold marble, her white silk dress torn and stained with drops of spilled champagne. Marcus stood frozen in the doorway,

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Cole smiled, raising a small remote detonator. "Then the structural charges planted beneath the city's main water purification plant go off. Thousands die. And your daughter becomes an orphan all over again—before we dissect her."

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