Veronica took a deep breath and glanced at Ethan, as if weighing the decision to finally reveal everything. Her voice was a whisper when she spoke next.
"They've been after a ledger—information about all of their operations. Money laundering, illegal arms deals, bribes... the full extent of their power. They've kept it hidden for years, and it's been in my possession for far too long. If they find it, they'll have everything they need to wipe out anyone who stands in their way. Including you."
Ethan's expression hardened as the weight of her words sank in. "Where is it, Veronica?" he asked, voice low but intense. "Where is the ledger?"
Veronica hesitated for a moment before answering. "I've kept it hidden... but not in the way they think. They're looking for it in all the wrong places. But the truth is, I don't have it anymore."
Mia's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean? Where is it?"
Veronica took a deep breath, her eyes darting between Ethan and Mia. "The only way to truly find it now is to follow the trail I left behind... a trail that leads to a place I thought I would never go back to. But it's too dangerous. They'll be watching me, and they'll be watching you. I'm not sure we can outrun them this time."
Ethan was silent for a moment, processing everything Veronica had just revealed. The Syndicate was more than just a group of criminals; it was an entity so powerful that even the authorities couldn't touch it. And now, they were hunting down Ethan, Mia, and Veronica with a single goal: to reclaim the ledger and ensure that no one could stop their operation.
"Where do we go?" Ethan asked, his voice resolute despite the storm raging inside him. "We'll do whatever it takes to find it and put an end to this."
Veronica looked at both of them, her eyes filled with the weight of the choice they were about to make.
"We go to the one place I've tried to forget. We go back to the Syndicate's old headquarters. It's the only place where the ledger could be, and it's the only place where they'll never think to look."
Mia's pulse quickened at the mention of a headquarters. "But it's not just any headquarters, is it?" she asked, her voice thick with the tension she could feel building in the air.
Veronica nodded gravely. "No. It's a place no one can find unless they know the exact location. And even if we find it, there's no guarantee we'll survive what's waiting there. But if you want to end this, this is where we begin."
Ethan and Mia exchanged a glance. Neither of them had a choice anymore. They were already too deep into this dangerous game to turn back. The Syndicate's deadly influence was pulling them in, and they had no choice but to face it head-on.
"Then let's go," Ethan said, his voice steady, determination returning in full force.
Mia's heart was racing, but she nodded. "We do this together. Whatever happens, we face it together."