The city skyline stretched before Alex as he stood on the balcony of his penthouse, a glass of whiskey untouched in his hand. Below, the world moved on as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn't nearly died. As if his entire empire hadn't been under siege. As if Emilia hadn't just exposed one of the most dangerous organizations in the world.
But the battle wasn't over.
Emilia stood a few feet away, arms wrapped around herself. The soft glow of the city lights illuminated her face, but she looked haunted. The weight of everything she had done, everything she had lost, pressed against her.
She turned to Alex. "Do you regret it?"
He didn't look at her. "Which part?"
"Saving me. Exposing them. Losing everything."
Alex let out a quiet chuckle, though there was no humor in it. "You really think I've lost everything?" He finally turned to her, his eyes cold but filled with something else—determination.
Emilia hesitated. "The Syndicate isn't gone, Alex. We took down one branch, but they have roots everywhere. Someone will come for us."
Alex smirked. "Let them try."
The words were bold, but deep down, he knew she was right. The game wasn't over.
As if on cue, Victor's name flashed across Alex's phone screen.
Emilia tensed. "Are you going to answer?"
Alex exhaled slowly before accepting the call.
"Alex," Victor's voice came through, strained, almost desperate. "We need to talk. It's bigger than we thought."
Alex's grip tightened around the glass. "You've got five seconds to convince me not to kill you the second I see you."
There was a pause before Victor spoke again. "Because the Syndicate wasn't the only one after Emilia. And if we don't stop what's coming next, you'll wish they were."
The call ended.
Alex and Emilia exchanged a glance.
Then, the lights in the penthouse flickered.
And the nightmare began again.
To be continued...