---
Chapter 30: Synthetic Shadows
New York City.
Night.
A diplomat staggered into a hotel lobby, bleeding from the chest. No signs of a weapon. No attacker caught on camera.
But security footage told another story.
A woman walked past him seconds before. Unseen. Unregistered.
Perfectly human.
Until she vanished into thin air.
---
Savannah reviewed the footage from their makeshift war room.
"She doesn't blink," Savannah said. "And look—no heat signature. That's not just a ghost."
Eliot leaned over her shoulder.
"That's a Replicant."
"Which means the Phoenix Protocol's already active," she whispered. "And we're late."
---
Back in Alaska, Rina and Lena stared at the hologram Eliot sent.
Same face.
Same walk.
Identical to Rina.
But not her.
"They're cloning my identity now," Rina murmured.
"Not just yours," Lena said grimly. "I found a list. There are hundreds."
"Of us?"
"Of them," Lena corrected. "Synthetics. Built from our DNA. Programmed to replace."
Rina stepped away, breath sharp.
"They're building a world without us."
---
That night, Rina stared into the fire.
Lena sat beside her.
"What do we do?" she asked.
Rina's eyes narrowed.
"We burn the shadows before they replace the light."
---
Author's Note:
New faces. Old blood. And a storm of synthetic assassins. If the chills are real, make sure Billionaire in Disguise stays in your collection. You reading it means we keep writing it—thank you for the fire!
---