Chapter 8 - The Midnight DiscoveryThe office was dead silent save for the hum of the climate control system. Edward was standing so close Mara could feel the faint warmth radiating from his chest. The electric tension that had been building since Saturday morning suddenly snapped into sharp, undeniable focus.
"Edward, we shouldn't—" Mara started, though she didn't step back.
"We shouldn't what?" he asked softly, lifting a hand to gently brush a stray lock of hair behind her ear. His fingers grazed her cheek, sending a jolt of heat straight to her core. "Work together? Break the rules? Or tear down a corrupt system built by men who thought they could own history?"
"All of the above," she whispered.
Before Edward could answer, a sharp chime echoed from the computer terminal on his desk. An automated security alert flashed red across the master surveillance monitor.
Edward’s expression instantly hardened. He stepped away from Mara, walking swiftly to the console. "What is this?"
Mara hurried over, looking over his shoulder. The monitor showed a live feed of the museum’s subterranean sub-basement—the secure archive housing the priceless nineteenth-century manuscripts and artifact reserves.
A figure in a dark hoodie was standing by the primary climate-control server rack, holding a heavy wrench.
"It's Peter," Mara gasped. "He has a master override keycard. He’s going to flood the archive's humidity chambers to destroy the audit logs!"
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Edward didn't hesitate. He grabbed his secure radio handset from the desk. "Security Team Alpha, sub-basement sector four, immediate response. Intruder alert. Do not let him reach the main breaker."
He turned back to Mara, his eyes blazing with fury. "Come on."
