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The ballroom of The Grand Sterling glistened like an ice palace drowned in amber light, smelling faintly of expensive champagne, high-stakes panic, and illicit money. Anna stood near a towering arrangement of white orchids / Chapter 16 / 20

Chapter 16 - System Override

"Looking for this?" a calm voice echoed from the top of the metal gantry crane above them.

Vincenzo stood on the upper catwalk, holding a high-frequency tactical jammer in one hand and a smoking sidearm in the other. Behind him, three federal transport vans burst through the rusted gates of Terminal 4, their sirens wailing as dozens of heavily armed federal agents poured out into the yard.

Dante’s face drained of color. He looked from Vincenzo down to Berto, who was now standing merely inches away, his gun pressed firmly against Dante’s jawline.

"It’s over, Uncle," Berto whispered, his voice like cracking ice. "You lost."

Before Dante could lunge or reach for a secondary weapon, Berto brought the butt of his gun down in a swift, brutal arc, sending his uncle crashing unconscious onto the wet concrete.

The federal agents swarmed the area within seconds, securing the mercenaries and securing the tactical container.

Anna let out a long, shuddering breath, her knees finally giving out slightly as the adrenaline crash hit her system. She leaned against a wooden crate, trying to steady her breathing.

Berto holstered his weapon instantly, rushing over to her side. He grabbed her by the shoulders, his dark eyes scanning her frantically. "Are you hurt? Did he touch you?"

"I'm fine," she breathed, offering a weak, trembling smile. "Though I’m billing the company for hazard pay and dry cleaning. This blazer was dry-clean only, Berto."

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Arthur Sterling tapped his leather-wrapped fingers against the steering wheel of his matte-black Bentley, staring at the imposing wrought-iron gates of his own estate. To the world, the Sterling name was synonymous with untouchable wealth, bleeding-edge tech investments, and a picture-perfect modern family. But as the automated gates slid open with a soft, expensive hum, Arthur didn't feel like a master of a universe; he felt like a stranger walking into a trap he had built with his own hands.

Arthur Sterling tapped his leather-wrapped fingers against the steering...

The sound hung in the air, rhythmic and deliberate—tap, tap, tap—reverberating directly through the plaster of the master bedroom's walk-in closet wall.

The sound hung in the air, rhythmic and deliberate—tap, tap, tap—reverbe...

The wind on the balcony was sharp, carrying the bitter, fish-heavy tang of the Boston Harbor. It hit Dileia like a physical blow, cutting right through the thin polyester of her service uniform. She shivered, though she refused to wrap her arms around herself. Doing so would look like weakness, and tonight, weakness was a currency she couldn't afford to spend.

The wind on the balcony was sharp, carrying the bitter, fish-heavy tang...

Berto let out a sudden, ragged laugh of pure relief, pulling her tightly against his chest in front of the entire federal task force. "You are infuriating, reckless, and completely out of your mind."

"And yet," Anna murmured against his shoulder, "you'd be dead without me."

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