The library was silent, save for the crackling of the last few embers in the fireplace. The Lazarus Code was gone—years of research, a father's sacrifice, and a mother's obsession, all turned to gray ash.
Aurora stood by the balcony, her hands still trembling. She had just destroyed the most valuable asset in the digital world. Xavier stood behind her, his presence heavy and silent. The air between them was no longer filled with just business threats; it was thick with a new, raw energy.
"You're a fool, Aurora," Xavier said, though his voice didn't carry the usual bite. "You just burned your only leverage."
"I didn't burn leverage, Xavier. I burned a target," Aurora replied, turning to face him. "As long as I had that code, I was a pawn. Now, I'm just a woman. A woman you still have to protect if you want your investment in Phoenix Holdings to pay off."
Xavier stepped closer, his thumb tracing the faint scratch on her cheek from the earlier scuffle. "You think you're just a woman? After what you did tonight? You're the most unpredictable variable I've ever encountered."
He signaled to Mr. Hayes, who was standing by the door with a grim expression. "Seal the estate. No one goes in or out without my personal biometric scan. And find out where Elena Thorne went. She won't stay quiet for long."
As Hayes left, Xavier turned back to Aurora. "You're staying in my room tonight. Not the guest suite. My room. Elena knows the layout of this house, but she won't get past my private security."
"Xavier, I can take care of—"
"No," he interrupted, his voice dropping to a low, commanding rumble. "Tonight, you listen to me. Not as a debtor, but as someone I refuse to lose."