The silence after her father's revelation was deafening.
Elena's breath hitched as her mind raced, drowning in a sea of half-formed thoughts and betrayal. She stared at the man who had vanished from her life years ago—a man she had cried over, mourned, and tried to forget. Now he stood in front of her, side by side with Victor, speaking as if everything he'd done—every lie, every absence—was part of some noble design.
"I don't understand," Elena said slowly, her voice shaking but firm. "You faked your death. You let us think you were gone. Why?"
Her father—Daniel Armand—gave a sigh that sounded far too calm. "Because I had to. Staying alive meant playing dead to the world. It was the only way to survive."
"Survive what?" Elena snapped. "From whom? From me?"
Daniel stepped forward, but Elena instinctively backed away, hitting the cold metal wall behind her. "You were just a child," he said. "You didn't know the forces closing in on our family. You didn't know the war I had to fight."
Victor crossed his arms beside him, clearly amused by the drama. "This is touching, really," he said, "but we don't have time for a reunion therapy session. We brought her here for a reason."
"Yes," Daniel murmured, eyes fixed on his daughter. "Because it's time she understands the truth about her inheritance... and the war she was born into."
Elena's jaw clenched. "What inheritance? What war?"
Victor chuckled. "Did you really think your family's fortune came from hotel chains and European estates? Your father wasn't just a businessman. He was a kingpin, Elena. One of the last real players in a crumbling empire. And now... it's your turn to wear the crown."
Her knees threatened to give out, but Elena forced herself to stay standing. "You want me to join you?" she asked. "Run a criminal empire?"
"Not just run it," Daniel said. "We need you to front it. You're clean, educated, and born with a name the world respects. You'll open doors that have been closed to us since I disappeared."
Elena stared at him in disbelief. "You disappeared because you were afraid. And now you want to use me as your shield?"
"I protected you," Daniel snapped. "I gave up everything to keep you away from this."
"You don't get to twist this into sacrifice," Elena said, her voice rising. "You abandoned me. And now you're standing with the man who tried to destroy me."
Victor grinned. "It's ironic, isn't it? That the only way out is to go deeper in."
Suddenly, the warehouse lights flickered—and a sharp beep rang out.
Everyone turned.
A red laser dot appeared on Victor's chest.
Then another on Daniel's forehead.
"Sniper?" Victor hissed, ducking.
"Someone followed her," Daniel growled. "She wasn't alone."
Elena didn't move. Her heart thundered in her chest, but she didn't flinch. "I didn't bring anyone," she said calmly, watching the chaos unfold.
Then came the crash.
The far wall exploded inward as masked figures stormed the warehouse. Tactical gear. Night-vision helmets. Silent rifles.
Daniel shoved Elena behind him, shielding her instinctively. Victor drew a weapon, cursing as he ducked behind crates. A voice rang through the chaos, amplified by a headset.
"Targets locked. Secure the girl."
Elena's blood froze. Secure the girl?
She tried to run, but strong arms grabbed her from behind. She kicked, screamed, fought, but it was no use. A cloth pressed against her mouth—chemical. Bitter. Burning. The world blurred.
Victor's screams echoed.
Daniel's voice shouted her name.
But everything dissolved into darkness.
When she woke, it wasn't in the warehouse.
It was somewhere worse.
White lights. Cold steel. An antiseptic scent that made her stomach twist. A lab.
She was strapped to a reclining chair, her wrists restrained.
Panic surged through her veins.
"What the hell is this?" she cried out. "Where am I?!"
A voice answered from the shadows. Calm. Female.
"Safe. For now."
A woman stepped forward, dressed in black. Her face was partially hidden behind a medical mask, but her eyes were sharp, calculating.
"You've been caught in a war that's far bigger than you, Elena Armand," she said. "We're the ones trying to end it."
Elena's breath caught. "Who are you?"
The woman pulled off the mask.
Elena gasped.
It was Ivy.
But not the Ivy she knew.
This Ivy had a scar running down her cheek and wore the insignia of an intelligence agency Elena didn't recognize.
"I told you you'd get answers," Ivy said softly, "but not the ones you wanted."
Elena's heart dropped.
Nothing was what it seemed.
And everything was about to change.