Skylar's POV
The air in the safehouse hung heavy with tension. I sat at the wooden table, staring down at the list laid out before me. Julian and Jasper flanked me, while the stranger-who we now knew as Elias-stood at the edge of the dimly lit room, crossing his arms.
"These are the big players in the council," Elias said, his fingers drumming against the paper. "Each controls a different region and each one more dangerous than the last."
I traced my fingers over the edges of the paper. "And this one?" I pointed to the name circled in red ink. "The tech mogul?
Elias nodded. "Lucien Vale. He runs a multi-billion-dollar empire, but his real job is laundering money for the council. Every illegitimate deal they make goes through him."
Julian leaned in. "So we take him out first. Cut off the money, weaken their power."
Jasper snorted. "Said than done. The guy's a ghost. Never makes public appearances except-"
