AVA
The encrypted files burned a hole in Ava's laptop.
Midnight oil and three illegal espressos had led her here—to Hansen Leroy's private server, hidden behind seven layers of corporate firewalls. The man had been paranoid. Rightfully so.
She zoomed in on the most damning document:
**CONFIDENTIAL – EYES ONLY**
**Project: Phoenix Rebirth**
**Objective: Assume control of Harris Consolidated assets upon C.H. termination.**
Attached were blueprints of Carl's penthouse, his daily routines, even—
Ava's stomach turned—
**Alina's school schedule.**
"You sick son of a bitch," she muttered.
But it was the next file that made her blood freeze.
A video. Dated two days before Hansen's "suicide."
She hit play.
Hansen's face filled the screen, his tie crooked, sweat beading on his forehead. *"If you're watching this, I'm dead. Kray ordered it. But he's not the mastermind—just the money. The real puppet master is—"*
Gunfire exploded off-camera. The video cut to static.
Ava slammed her fist on the desk. *"Who?!"*
Her phone buzzed—a notification from her facial recognition scan.
**MATCH FOUND: VISITOR LOG – VELORIA MAX SECURITY PRISON.**
The photo showed a silver-haired man in a tailored suit visiting Kray last week.
**IDENTITY: LIONEL HARRIS.**
Carl's *father.*
---
CARL
Pain was an old friend.
Carl welcomed it as he forced himself upright in the hospital bed, gritting his teeth against the fire in his chest. The room was dark except for the glow of the monitors.
Kathleen slept in the chair beside him, her head pillowed on her arms, her fingers still laced with his.
He traced the curve of her knuckles with his thumb. She didn't stir.
Good. She needed rest.
His phone buzzed on the tray table. A text from an unknown number:
**You always were a disappointment, son.**
Carl's blood turned to ice.
The attached photo showed Alina's empty bed, her stuffed dragon abandoned on the sheets.
Timestamp: 23 minutes ago.
Carl ripped out his IV.
---
KATHLEEN
Kathleen woke to the sound of retching.
Carl was on his knees by the bathroom door, clutching his stitches, his face gray with pain.
"*Carl!*" She caught him as he swayed.
"Alina—" He shoved his phone at her. "My father has her."
The image seared into her brain. Alina's bed. The dragon she never slept without.
Kathleen's vision tunneled.
Then Ava burst in, laptop open. "We have a bigger problem."
The video played before Kathleen could speak. Hansen's final words. The gunshot.
And the truth:
Carl's father had ordered the hit.
Carl made a sound like a dying animal. "Where is she?"
Ava's fingers flew across the keyboard. "Tracking her watch now. But Carl—" She hesitated. "Your dad's not just after Alina. He's liquidating your shares as we speak."
Carl staggered to his feet. "Get me a car."
Kathleen grabbed his arm. "You can't even stand—"
He turned on her, his eyes wild. "That's *my daughter*."
The words hung in the air like a detonation.
*Daughter.* Not niece.
Ava sucked in a breath.
Kathleen didn't flinch. She just reached for her coat.
"Then let's go get our girl."