exactly at 2:17 a.m
A call
She picked it up instantly. Going out of the classroom.
the caller id- DAMON.
he never calls unless its necessary .
"Speak."
"Emergency head meeting." Damon's voice was tight. No humor. No ease. "Upper level."
Jay was already on her feet.
"…Reason?"
"They're voting."
She ran to the car.
Jay gazed toward the window, as she was on call with Damon. Her eyes and mind sharp with with actions.
"On what?"
A pause.
"…On whether you deserve to stay in control."
Jay sped her car focused. too focus.
Still.
Unshaken.
"Conditions."
Damon didn't waste time.
"They want proof. Not words. Not promises."
Jay tone sharpened slightly. "Say it clearly."
A breath.
"You eliminate a high-level threat."
That made more sense.
"Name."
This time, Damon didn't hesitate.
"…Raven Voss."
No silence.
No emotional pause.
Just a quiet shift in JJ's expression.
"…Finally," she said.
Damon exhaled, almost like he expected something else. "You've been waiting for this."
"Yes."
Because Raven Voss wasn't an ally.
Never was.
She was a problem that hadn't been removed yet.
Raven Voss.
Strategic. Independent. Dangerous.
The kind of person who didn't follow systems—she built her own.
She didn't oppose Jay openly.
That would've been simple.
Instead, she moved in the background.
Quiet interference. Subtle disruptions. Untraceable patterns.
Not enough to start a war.
but enough to weaken control.
And Jay?
Jay had noticed.
"You have confirmation?" Jay asked.
"More than enough," Damon replied. "She's been expanding. Building something separate."
JJ's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Territory?"
"Influence."
That was worse.
Territory could be taken back.
Influence had to be destroyed.
Across the city—
Section E was already failing.
"She's gone."
"No—she erased herself."
"That's not possible."
"How?." keifer whispered.
Because they all knew jay as an ordinary person.
Not as a mafia
Silence followed.
Because if Jay didn't want to be found—
Then no one can find her.
"Break the encryption."
"I'm trying."
"No. Try harder."
Systems pushed.
Codes layered.
Barriers didn't just block—they redirected.
"Every time I get close, it resets," Edrix said.
"That's not encryption," Rory muttered.
"That's control."
"Fernandez Mansion," Keifer said.
No one argued.
The gates were open.
That alone felt like a warning.
Inside, the air was heavy.
Not empty.
Just… waiting.
"Call her."
Angelo already had.
The phone rang.
Then—
"Jay, where are you?"
His voice was sharp. Controlled urgency slipping through.
Silence.
Then—
"…Why?"
Angelo frowned. "What do you mean why?"
"Where are you?"
The question felt off.
Wrong.
"at this time you should be at school ," he said. " what are you doi—"
"I am busy."
Flat.
Final.
"Jay—"
"I' told you i'm busy"
A pause.
The call ended.
Back in the dark—
Jay stood still.
Raven Voss.
Not a name.
A target.
Her phone buzzed.
A message.
Unknown number.
"Took them long enough to approve it."
Jay's eyes didn't widen.
Didn't shift.
She typed.
"You knew it was coming."
Reply came instantly.
"You've been watching me."
A pause.
Then—
"I've been watching you too."
Jay called.
Raven picked up immediately.
"No hesitation," Raven's voice was smooth. Calm. "Good. I was getting bored."
"You've been moving too openly," Jay said.
"And you've been pretending not to notice."
Silence stretched.
Not empty.
Just sharp.
"They finally gave you permission," Raven continued. "That must feel satisfying."
"It's necessary," Jaycorrected.
A soft laugh.
"You always say that."
Jay's gaze hardened slightly.
"You've built something," she said.
"Yes."
"Separate."
"Yes."
"Why?"
A pause.
Then—
"Because I can."
That was the problem.
Not revenge.
Not rebellion.
Just capability.
Raven didn't follow rules.
Because she didn't believe she had to.
"You're destabilizing structure," Jay said.
"I'm improving it."
"You're dividing it."
"I'm redefining it."
The words clashed.
Neither of them raised their voice.
Neither of them needed to.
Then Raven asked—
"Are you going to do it?"
Straightforward.
Like it was already decided.
Jay didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
Silence.
Then—
"Good."
That wasn't fear.
That was acceptance.
No—
Worse.
Anticipation.
"I'll send you a location," Raven said.
"No."
A pause.
"I'll find you."
A quiet laugh.
"I was hoping you'd say that."
The call ended.
Jay slipped her phone into her pocket.
No rush.
No tension.
Just direction.
Because this wasn't personal.
It wasn't emotional.
It wasn't complicated.