Three days of forced rest had drained Alicia's patience. Her parents' constant insistence on her staying home, recovering, had only made her more determined to get back to the fight. The silence was suffocating, the walls closing in on her with every passing hour. There was no time for rest, no time for weakness—not when everything she had built was on the line.
She walked into the Syndicate Tower—a sleek, imposing building that housed not just their family's company but their empire. The sharp angles of the glass and steel felt like an extension of the cold, calculated world she lived in.
The top floor, where the executive office was located, had an air of dominance. Glass walls, minimalist furnishings, and a view of the city skyline that made one feel untouchable. Alicia stepped into the war room, the high-tech hub where deals were made and broken, where lives were changed in an instant. The large conference table was surrounded by a few of her most trusted employees, all staring at the projection screen, showing encrypted files of their ongoing investigation. The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with anticipation.
Marco was already there, his back to the room, scanning through his tablet. He didn't need to turn around to sense Alicia's presence.
"Two days of silence, and you're already here?" Marco's voice was low but filled with something sharper. Concern, mixed with a thread of admiration for her determination.
"I'm done with silence," Alicia said, her voice unwavering. "We need answers."
She took her seat at the table. The employees exchanged uncomfortable glances but stayed quiet, sensing the gravity of the moment.
Marco turned to face her, his expression serious. "I've found a lead."
Alicia raised an eyebrow. "A lead?"
He nodded. "Her name is Evanna. She's the one we've been trying to track down for weeks. She's connected to the syndicate, but not just as an informant—she's someone with power. Dangerous power."
The room seemed to still as Alicia absorbed his words. "Why haven't we gone to her yet?"
Marco leaned forward, his tone lowering, the air turning thick with something darker. "Because she's not the type to be found easily. She operates in shadows. No records, no history, no ties. She's as close to a ghost as you'll get." He paused, eyes narrowing. "Getting to her won't be simple. We don't know who she's working for, who her alliances are. But I know she's the key to finding who betrayed us—and who's behind this entire mess."
Alicia's gaze didn't falter. "You think she'll help us?"
Marco's eyes met hers, unreadable, but with a trace of something dangerous lurking. "She'll help us… or she'll end us."
The employees, sensing the tension growing, stood up, their chairs scraping loudly against the floor. Marco turned sharply to them. "Leave. Now."
They hesitated for a moment, but Marco's tone brooked no argument. Reluctantly, the room cleared, and soon it was just Alicia and Marco left alone in the conference room, the vastness of the empty space amplifying the intensity of their conversation.
Alicia leaned back in her chair, her eyes never leaving Marco's. "You think this woman holds all the answers?"
He didn't respond immediately, but the weight of his silence told her everything. "I do," he said finally. "But to get to her, we'll have to dive into the heart of the syndicate. She's tangled up in the very thing we've been trying to destroy."
Alicia's pulse quickened. "Then let's do it. No more waiting."
Marco's gaze flickered for a moment, but he gave a slight nod. "I'll get the details. But you need to understand—this is dangerous. We're stepping into a lion's den with no backup. If we go after her, there's no turning back."
Alicia's expression hardened. "I don't care about the risks anymore, Marco. We don't have the luxury of turning back."
The door behind them clicked open, and Marco's assistant stepped in, holding a sealed envelope. He approached Alicia, handing it to her silently. "This came for you."
Alicia opened the envelope slowly, pulling out a single sheet of paper. The message was typed, the words cold and cryptic:
"You think you know what's at stake, but you don't. The truth is worse than you can imagine."
Alicia's hand tightened around the paper, her heart pounding. She glanced up at Marco, who was already watching her with a knowing look.
"This isn't just about betrayal," he murmured. "It's about something much bigger. And Evanna holds the key."
The weight of his words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken danger. It was a game they could no longer afford to lose.