"It's the royal family."
Everyone froze the instant the words were spoken. The room was swallowed by a sudden and crushing stillness.
"The royal family,"
Mike muttered under his breath, voice barely audible, yet cutting through the silence. His eyes, sharp and unreadable, betrayed none of the turmoil within.
"W-What do we do?"
One of his men stammered, voice shaking.
"Do you think they've found out?"
"Idiot. It's the royal family—of course they've found out!"
Panic began to bloom like wildfire, tension spreading from person to person with frightening speed.
"So what?"
"Everyone, quiet."
Mike's voice, deep and commanding, sliced clean through the rising cacophony. It silenced everyone and anyone, pulling the room back into order.
He turned toward the woman who had delivered the news, his gaze steady, then back to the others.
"They only asked for me. That's a good thing. It means they don't know the full extent of our operations."
