The screen went black.
Just like that.
Lia's face—gone.
Her voice—gone.
As if she had never been there at all.
Ariana's heart dropped so fast it felt like it shattered on impact. "No…" she whispered, stepping forward instinctively, as if she could somehow reach through the darkness and pull her back.
"Bring it back!" she shouted, her voice breaking as she turned toward Adrian's mother.
But the woman only smiled.
Calm. Controlled. Untouchable.
"You really thought it would be that easy?" she said softly.
Around them, chaos had fully erupted. Armed forces spread across the room, shouting commands, weapons raised, trying to secure every corner. The syndicate men were already reacting—some fighting, some retreating, some disappearing into hidden exits that clearly weren't part of any official blueprint.
Adrian grabbed Ariana's arm before she could rush forward blindly. "Stop," he said sharply. "This is exactly what she wants."
Ariana shook her head, trying to pull free. "She turned it off! I need to know where she is!"
"And running at her won't fix that," Adrian replied, his tone hard but controlled.
But his eyes—
Were anything but calm.
Because he understood.
That screen going black meant one thing.
They had lost the only real-time link to Lia.
Adrian turned toward his mother, his expression colder than it had ever been. "Where is she?" he demanded.
She didn't answer.
Instead, she slowly stepped back, completely unfazed by the armed forces closing in around her.
"You've made a mistake," she said, her gaze shifting briefly to Ariana. "You've turned a controlled situation into chaos."
Ariana's eyes burned with fury. "You were never in control," she shot back. "You just made us believe you were."
For a brief moment—
Something flickered in the woman's eyes.
Not fear.
But irritation.
Then—
She smiled again.
"You still don't understand," she said.
Before anyone could react—
She pressed something hidden in her palm.
A sharp, piercing alarm suddenly blared through the entire building.
Red emergency lights flooded the room.
The armed units paused, confused for a split second.
"What is that?" one of them shouted.
Adrian's instincts screamed.
"Evacuation protocol," he muttered.
Ariana turned to him. "What does that mean?"
His jaw tightened.
"It means this place is about to be wiped."
As if confirming his words—
A mechanical voice echoed through the building:
"Self-destruct sequence initiated. Evacuate immediately."
Everything stopped.
Then—
Panic.
Even the armed forces hesitated.
The syndicate men began rushing toward exits.
"Move!" Adrian shouted, grabbing Ariana's hand. "We have to get out now!"
"But Lia—" she started.
"We won't find her if we're dead!" he cut in.
That hit.
Hard.
Ariana clenched her fists—
Then nodded.
They ran.
Through smoke.
Through flashing red lights.
Through chaos that was no longer controlled by anyone.
Behind them—
Adrian's mother didn't move immediately.
She stood still, watching.
Observing.
As if this was all just another step in her plan.
The syndicate leader paused near her. "You're destroying everything?" he asked.
She glanced at him.
"Loose ends," she said simply.
Then—
She turned and walked away.
Adrian and Ariana pushed through the corridors, following the emergency exit signs.
Explosions echoed from deeper inside the building.
Closer.
Louder.
The ground shook beneath their feet.
Ariana's breathing was uneven, her mind still stuck on one thing—
Lia.
"Adrian," she said between breaths, "we lost her—"
"No," he said firmly. "We didn't."
She looked at him.
"How can you be sure?"
He didn't slow down.
"Because my mother doesn't destroy something she still needs."
Those words—
Lit a small, fragile hope inside her.
They reached the exit just as another explosion tore through the building behind them.
They stumbled out into the open air—
Just as the structure began collapsing.
A massive blast followed—
Flames rising into the night sky.
Ariana turned, watching it burn.
That building—
Held answers.
Leads.
Clues.
All gone.
Just like that.
Her shoulders dropped slightly.
"We're back to nothing…" she whispered.
Adrian stepped beside her.
"No," he said.
Ariana looked at him.
His eyes were focused.
Sharp.
Determined.
"We're back to the beginning," he corrected.
A pause.
Then—
"And this time… we do it right."
Ariana took a slow breath.
The fire reflected in her eyes.
Not fear.
Not despair.
Something else.
Something stronger.
"Then we start with her," she said.
Adrian nodded.
"My mother."
A beat of silence.
Then—
Ariana added quietly—
"And this time… we don't let her stay ten steps ahead."
Far away—
In a quiet, hidden location—
A screen flickered back on.
Lia sat in the same room.
Silent.
Unharmed.
Watching.
And behind her—
A shadow moved.
A familiar voice spoke softly—
"You shouldn't have shown yourself, Ariana…"
A pause.
Then—
"Now the real game begins."
Cliffhanger:
👉 The camera zooms slightly—
And reveals someone standing behind Lia…
Someone Ariana trusted before. 😈
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