The Reed Estate was no longer a home; it was a crime scene. Even after the twenty traitors were purged and the uniforms were reduced to ash, the air felt heavy with the lingering scent of deceit. I stood on the grand balcony, looking down at the five remaining men—the ones I had initially deemed "clean" or simply too low-level to be dangerous.
"Search them again," I barked down at Marcus.
"We've stripped them twice, Boss," Marcus called back, his voice strained. "Nothing. No chips, no wires, no hidden comms."
I descended the stairs, my boots clicking sharply on the marble. I walked up to the five men. They were shivering, their eyes wide with a mix of terror and exhaustion.
"I gave you mercy," I said, my voice a low, vibrating growl. "I let you live when the others died because I thought you were loyal fools. But Sterling's blood is still wet on my hands, and he told me the master is here. One of you is the bridge. Tell me now, and I might let you walk to the gate."
