The library was a scene of chaos. Smoke still curled around the shattered bookshelves, and the smell of gunpowder was thick enough to taste. Aurora stood on the very edge of the balcony, the 'Lazarus Code' held firmly over the churning dark waters of the Atlantic.
"Drop the gun, Mother," Aurora commanded, her voice vibrating with a coldness she didn't know she possessed. "Or I let go. And we both know Xavier won't let you leave this island alive without this file."
Elena Thorne stared at her daughter with eyes that were terrifyingly empty. "You've grown sharp, Aurora. Just like your father. But you don't understand the power you're holding. That code isn't just data; it's a weapon that can bring down nations."
Xavier stepped forward, his eyes locked on Aurora. He didn't look at the mercenary team or the broken glass. His focus was entirely on her. "Aurora, come away from the edge. I won't let her touch you."
"Why, Xavier?" Aurora asked, a bitter smile on her lips. "So you can use the weapon instead? You're all the same. Everyone wants a piece of the Thorne legacy, but nobody cared about the Thorne family."
Suddenly, Elena moved. She didn't go for Aurora; she fired a shot at the chandelier above Xavier. As it crashed down, creating a distraction, she lunged toward the balcony.
"No!" Xavier roared, firing his weapon.
In the blur of movement, Aurora felt a hand grab her arm. It was Elena. For a split second, Aurora saw a flicker of something human in her mother's eyes—was it regret? Or just desperation?
"Give it to me, Emily!" Elena hissed.
"My name is Aurora!" she screamed, and with a sudden surge of strength, she pushed her mother back and threw the folder. But she didn't throw it into the ocean. She threw it into the roaring fireplace in the center of the room.
The flames hungrily swallowed the secret that had ruined her family.