Esme's gaze turned icy as she picked up the file, flipping it open. She paused, her lips curling into a smirk. "So… it was you."
A shiver went through the group, and three of the guards suddenly stood, desperation flashing in their eyes. In one swift motion, they pulled out guns, aiming them directly at Esme.
But Aron was faster.
He leaped forward, delivering a sharp, precise kick to one guard's stomach, sending him sprawling. In the same movement, Aron spun and fired twice, hitting two of them squarely in the feet, and then another shot landed on one guard's hand, disarming him instantly.
The guards crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain, clutching their injuries as Aron's unyielding gaze swept over them. The room fell silent once more, save for the labored breathing of the defeated guards.
Esme rose slowly, her expression one of cold triumph as she looked down at them. "That," she said softly, almost to herself, "is the price of betrayal."
