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Chapter 28: Echoes in the Dark
One week later.
Undisclosed location.
Deep underground, behind five levels of biometric clearance, Rina opened her eyes.
White light. Steady beeping. A familiar voice humming softly.
Lena.
"You're up," Lena said, setting down a datapad. Her face—softer now. Human.
Rina sat up slowly, her muscles aching. "How long?"
"Seven days. You coded your own exit route into the servers. Smart."
"I wasn't sure I'd survive," Rina muttered.
"You did more than survive," Lena replied. "You took Kane offline. Globally. He's vanished."
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Above ground, Eliot stood at a hill overlooking the crater, speaking on a secure line.
"She's alive. Off the grid. But something's wrong."
"What do you mean?" Savannah asked.
Eliot handed her the tablet.
> NEW TRANSMISSION DETECTED
ORIGIN: UNKNOWN
SUBJECT: PHOENIX PROTOCOL – ACTIVATED
Savannah frowned. "Phoenix? That wasn't in the Athena files."
"No," Eliot said. "Because it was deeper. Darker. Kane's failsafe."
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Back underground, Lena handed Rina a device.
"They'll come looking for us."
"Let them," Rina said, eyes burning. "We're not hiding anymore."
She looked at her twin.
"We're going to finish what they started."
Together.
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Author's Note:
A rebirth. A secret darker than Athena. And a mission that's only getting more dangerous. If you're still with us, add Billionaire in Disguise to your library. Every collection is fuel for the fire to come—thank you for reading!
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