"Some names are coming up, but she's careful. Her operations are modular. If one cell is compromised, another activates." Max hesitated and lowered his voice.
"She's already embedded in your inner circle. That's how she knew our movements, how she almost got to Elena."
The blood drained from my face. I could feel my heart pounding loudly in my chest, each beat reverberating in my ears like a distant drum. A chill crept over my skin, leaving goosebumps in its wake.
I didn't move, didn't speak. My mind was already racing through possibilities, contingencies, and worst-case scenarios. The tension in the air was palpable, making everything around me feel unnaturally still, as if time itself had momentarily paused.
Gracia had been with me for years. She knew the layout, the traps, the psychic thresholds of every room. She knew me.
Kelly spoke then, voice quiet but firm. "You… knew she was that dangerous?"
