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It’s Vesper. Pick up the damn phone. Now.

Almost immediately, I hit redial.

This time, he answers on the second ring.

“Vesper?” His voice is tense, cautious. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” I say, though my voice is too tight to sound convincing. “You need to leave. Now.”

“What?” His tone shifts, all suspicion and edge. “What the fuck’s going on?”

I meet Mikhail's cold stare as he watches me, one finger hovering over the control panel. “It's a trap. He knows you're there. There's a flood mechanism—” My voice cracks. “Please, Z. Get Oz and go back. Tell Talon to retreat, too.”

“We're not leaving without you," Z seethes.

“You have to,” I plead, desperation bleeding into my tone. “I will meet you back at the apartment. I’ll explain everything.”

“He's watching you right now on security cameras. If you don't leave, he'll drown you both, and kill Luca and Alex on the spot.”

Silence stretches across the line, and I can almost see Z’s jaw clench, his expression tightening with barely restrained anger.

“Alex?” Disbelief evident in his voice.

“He's alive,” I confirm. “But not for long if you don't get out of here. Please, Z. Trust me.”

The line goes dead. On the monitor, Z and Oz exchange tense words before reluctantly turning back, retreating the way they came. Talon's feed shows him receiving a call, his expression tightening before he disappears from view.

“Satisfied?” I hand the phone back to the guard.

“Quite,” he replies. “You've made the right choice, granddaughter.”

“I didn't have a choice,” I correct him. “You made sure of that.”

“A lesson your father never learned. There are always choices, Vesper.” He gestures sharply to the guard behind Alex. “Take him. We're done here.”

The guard grabs Alex roughly, yanking him toward the door. Alex's face contorts with pain. “Vesper, listen to me!” He struggles against the guard's grip, digging his heels into the carpet.

"Shut him up," Mikhail orders coldly.

The second guard moves forward, but Alex twists violently, smashes free just long enough to lurch toward me, desperation etched across his battered face. “You're the key! The key to everything!” Alex shouts as the guards recapture him, one landing a vicious blow to his ribs that doubles him over. Still, he fights, his voice growing more frantic. "You're the key, Vesper!”

A guard's fist connects with his jaw, silencing him momentarily. Blood trickles from the fresh split in his lip as they drag him toward the door.

"Get him out of here," Mikhail snarls, visibly unsettled by Alex's outburst.

I lunge forward instinctively, but Mikhail's iron grip catches my arm, holding me in place. “He’s not yours yet, granddaughter.”

I watch helplessly as Alex vanishes through the doorway, his desperate face locked on mine until the last possible moment. The door slams shut with a finality that echoes through the study.

Mikhail releases my arm, straightening his suit jacket. “He's quite devoted to you,” he observes, returning to the desk. “Such loyalty is rare. Too bad his bloodline comes with no political power. A child sired by him would be strong. Nevertheless, there are other options to consider.”

My throat constricts around words I can't form. Alex is alive. The knowledge should bring relief, but instead it carves a fresh wound alongside the existing scar. He's alive and suffering because of me.

Mikhail picks up the tablet from the desk, handing it to me with a sharp, businesslike air. “As promised,” he says. “You’ll receive a link to their video feeds once daily. Your proof of life.”

I take the tablet, my fingers feeling numb against the cold surface.

“The link will only be active for a 15-minute window each day. Miss that window, and you won’t see your brother.”