Chapter 11: Running on Instinct
Elara didn't look back.
With the hard drive clutched tightly in her coat, she raced through the back exit of the penthouse while chaos erupted behind her. The fire alarm blared louder with every heartbeat, masking the sounds of gunfire echoing from the lobby.
She pushed past pedestrians, her mind only on one thing: Declan.
The city felt different now—like every shadow could swallow her whole.
She hailed a cab with trembling fingers, slipping into the backseat just as a black car cruised slowly past on the opposite side of the street. Tinted windows. No plates.
They were watching.
She gave the driver an address. Declan's place.
Twenty minutes of silence later, she was in the safety of his townhouse. Declan pulled her in fast, locking the door behind them.
"Where's Killian?" he asked, eyes sharp.
Elara swallowed. "He stayed behind to protect me. He told me to run."
Declan's jaw tightened. "He always does that. Plays the shield."
She handed him the drive. "This has everything. We can't lose it."
Declan slid it into a secure laptop and began scanning the contents.
Elara stared at the screen, her mind spinning. "Someone betrayed us. We think it might be Nadia Chen."
Declan frowned. "Killian's ex?"
"Yeah. She works security at his company—she'd have the access."
Declan leaned back, eyes thoughtful. "If that's true, she's not working alone. Damon's men aren't subtle. But someone on the inside? That's how they stay ahead."
Elara dropped into a chair, exhausted. "I'm done being a pawn in their game."
Declan looked at her, suddenly solemn. "Then maybe it's time you played a new role."
She met his gaze.
"Time to be the queen."