Stephanie's office still smelled faintly of her.
Riley stood inside it alone.
The long glass wall stretched from floor to ceiling, overlooking the heart of Styles Industries—engineers moving with purpose, analysts hunched over holographic displays, security patrols flowing like clockwork beneath him. The world continued to function perfectly.
And yet, something vital was missing.
Riley's reflection stared back at him from the glass. Expression calm. Posture relaxed. Hands clasped behind his back like a man admiring a city he owned.
But behind his eyes, gears were turning with lethal precision.
He replayed everything.
Stephanie answering a call.
Stephanie leaving her office without hesitation.
Stephanie trusting the system.
My system.
The door behind him slid open softly.
Ethan didn't step in immediately.
He cleared his throat first.
"Riley."
Riley didn't turn. "Talk."
Ethan took that as permission—and a warning.
"We found her."
The air in the room shifted.
