The underground chamber was filled with silence.
Not the peaceful kind.
The dangerous kind.
The kind that came before war.
Smoke still curled from broken machines. Sparks flew from damaged control panels. Red emergency lights flashed across the steel walls, casting shadows over every face.
And standing in the middle of it all—
Was Victoria.
Elegant.
Beautiful.
Perfectly composed.
Like she had not just walked into the ruins of chaos.
Like she belonged there.
Her black dress clung to her like power itself, and her red lips curved into that same calm smile that made Emily instantly uncomfortable.
She looked like the kind of woman who could destroy lives while still looking graceful.
Emily stood still.
Exhausted.
Her body still weak from the core.
Her heart still carrying the weight of her mother's final goodbye.
And now this.
Perfect.
Just perfect.
Beside her, Alexander had gone completely rigid.
His hand was still holding hers.
Tight.
Protective.
