AVA'S POV
It would destroy the plan.
And possibly, destroy us.
But it would save him, from himself.
I stared at the screen, my fingers trembling just inches from the final fail-safe.
Could I really do it?
Would I really hurt the man I loved just to stop him from burning the world down?
A knock at the main door startled me. I shut everything and reburied the laptop. By the time I opened the front door, I had composed my face, my heartbeat, my lie.
It was Ethan. Wind-tossed and drenched from the storm outside.
His eyes locked with mine.
"I found something," he said quietly, stepping inside. "Something big. Strike Three might not be enough. I'm going to have to take this all the way."
I swallowed. "What do you mean, all the way?"
His jaw tensed. "His daughter. His legacy. His political ties. If I remove all three, Javier loses his seat at every table. Forever."
I nodded slowly, my stomach sinking.
He was spiraling.
So slowly, so methodically, no one else would see it.
