"Say it again."
Alaric's voice was sharp.
Demanding.
The moment Sebastian stepped into the room, everything shifted.
No greetings.
No delays.
Just truth.
"I never touched Cynthia."
Sebastian's voice came out flat.
Cold.
Certain.
Elara, who had been standing by the window, turned slowly.
Her eyes searched his face.
Deep.
Careful.
"You're sure?" she asked quietly.
Sebastian's jaw tightened.
"I don't repeat lies."
Silence.
Heavy.
Then—
Alaric slammed his palm lightly against the table.
"Good."
One word.
Firm.
Decisive.
"Because that means we're not defending a mistake…" he continued, eyes darkening, "we're exposing a crime."
Within minutes—
The study turned into a war room.
Screens lit up.
Multiple feeds.
Maps.
Logs.
Digital trails.
Three men stood behind the system.
Trackers.
Not ordinary hackers.
Clean.
Precise.
Silent.
Sebastian didn't waste time.
