Before Aurora could process Xavier's bombshell, the estate's alarm system blared, a piercing red light flashing throughout the library. Mr. Hayes burst into the room, his face unusually pale.
"Sir, we have a breach at the perimeter," Hayes reported. "It's not the police. It's a tactical team. They're using 'Vane's' signatures."
Xavier's expression shifted instantly from a seductive predator to a cold-blooded general. "Silas. He was faster than I thought. He must have tracked the Aegis hardware."
"Aurora, get to the safe room," Xavier commanded, pulling a sleek black handgun from a desk drawer.
"No," Aurora said, her emerald eyes burning. "I'm not hiding. This is my mess too."
The glass windows of the library shattered as smoke grenades were tossed inside. Aurora ducked behind the heavy mahogany desk just as gunfire erupted. The silence of the mansion was replaced by the deafening roar of combat.
Through the haze of smoke, Aurora saw a figure moving toward the hidden wall panel—the one Xavier had just opened. It wasn't one of Silas's goons. It was a woman, dressed in tactical gear, her movements fluid and lethal.
"Stella?" Aurora gasped.
The woman paused, pulling back her tactical mask. It wasn't Stella, but the resemblance was uncanny. It was Elena Thorne, Aurora's mother, who was supposed to have died fifteen years ago.
"Hello, Aurora," Elena said, her voice devoid of any maternal warmth. "Step away from the files. They don't belong to Xavier, and they certainly don't belong to you."
Aurora felt the world tilting. Her father was a thief, her mother was alive and a mercenary, and she was trapped between them and a billionaire who had been playing her like a chess piece since day one.
Xavier fired a shot, forcing Elena to dive for cover. "I told you to stay back!" he roared at Aurora.
But Aurora didn't listen. She grabbed the 'Lazarus' file from the panel and ran toward the balcony. If everyone wanted this secret, she was going to be the one to decide who got it.
"If anyone moves, the code goes into the ocean!" she screamed, standing on the edge of the cliff, the file held over the crashing waves.
The room went dead silent. Xavier, Elena, and the tactical team all froze, their eyes locked on the thin folder in her hand. For the first time, Aurora wasn't just a player in the game. She was the one holding the board.