The sharp blare of the security alarm cut off abruptly. Silence rushed in like a vacuum, thick with the weight of what had just happened.

Elliot’s arms remained around Alexia for a second longer before he pulled back slightly, just enough to see her face. Her breathing was still uneven, but her expression was obvious frustration overriding fear.

Her voice sliced through the tension. “What the hell is going on?”

Harris stood near the security panel, fingers moving over the console as he reset the system. A soft beep confirmed the lockdown had been lifted.

Sarah’s voice came from across the room, her focus on her laptop screen. “Security held. No breach.”

Alexia shook her head. “Then why the alarm?”

Sarah tapped a few more keys. “Someone tried.”

Elliot stepped back, rubbing his hand over his jaw as he looked between them. “Talk to me.”

Harris didn’t glance up as he spoke. “A single individual approached the perimeter. They didn’t get past the first barrier before the system locked them out.”

Alexia exhaled sharply. “And you’re saying this is normal?”

Sarah let out a slow breath, turning the laptop so they could see the grainy security footage. A figure, blurred by the night vision filter, moved toward the estate’s side entrance. They paused at the panel, fingers hovering over the keypad, but after a few seconds, they stepped back.

Realizing they were caught, the figure turned and walked away, disappearing into the trees.

“They weren’t guessing. They knew where to go,” said Anna, her tone even.

Elliot’s gaze stayed on the computer screen. His fingers pressed against the edge of the desk, controlled but tense.

“So, what now? You think this is someone from inside?” asked Alexia.

No one answered right away. The weight of the question settled over the room.

Finally, Elliot exhaled. “We can’t rule it out.”

Alexia’s arms crossed over her chest, her fingers gripping her forearms. “And how long have you known something like this could happen?”

Elliot didn’t hesitate. “Long enough to be ready for it.”

She let out a slow breath, pressing her fingers to her temples before looking at Sarah again. “That footage—can you get a better angle?”

Sarah shook her head. “Already tried. They stayed in the blind spots, but it wasn’t accidental. Whoever it was, they knew exactly where the weak points were. They just didn’t expect the upgrades.”

Silence stretched between them before Alexia finally nodded, but something in her expression had closed off.

“I need a minute.”

Elliot watched as she turned toward the door, pausing just briefly before walking out. He exhaled as she disappeared down the hallway, then turned back to the others.

“Let’s move.”

The air in the meeting room carried the weight of too many unspoken thoughts. The large screen at the end of the table loaded, waiting for Ava and Ben to join.

Harris leaned over the laptop, fingers moving fast. “Footage is ready.”

Sarah sat forward, scanning the security logs. “There’s something else. The system wasn’t triggered from outside alone.”

“Meaning?” asked Elliot.

Anna answered before Sarah could. “Someone inside the estate activated a security override at the same time the external attempt happened.”

Steven let out a slow breath. “Inside job.”

Sarah clicked on a log, pulling up the estate’s internal access records. “Only a few people have the clearance to do that. Jonathan wasn’t accounted for.”

“Jonathan knows this estate better than anyone.”

Elliot’s fingers drummed against the table as Ava’s and Ben’s faces appeared.

Ava’s gaze swept over them, sharp and assessing. “Who?”

Harris didn’t hesitate. “Jonathan.”

Ben didn’t react. He only tilted his head slightly, as if he had already expected it.

“Figured,” he muttered.

Ava studied the footage, then turned back to them. “So that’s the inside angle. What about the outside?”

“We don’t know yet.”

“Then you have a second problem,” said Ava.

The weight of those words settled into the room. And everyone knew—this wasn’t over.

A few minutes later, Elliot stood outside Alexia’s suite for a moment before knocking. The tension from the night still sat heavy on his shoulders, but there was something else—something he couldn’t quite name.

A few moments passed before the door opened. Alexia stood there, arms crossed, her face unreadable.

“Did you figure it out?” she asked, skipping any greeting.

Elliot exhaled. “Some of it.”

Alexia stepped back, allowing him inside. The suite was dimly lit, the only source of light coming from the lamp next to the couch. She had changed into a loose-fitting t-shirt and yoga pants—comfortable, but the way she held herself showed she was anything but.

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He shut the door behind him, taking in the minor details. The room smelled faintly of the lavender lotion she always used. A book lay faced down on the nightstand, abandoned. Her phone sat beside it, with the screen dark.

Elliot walked further inside. “The security system held. Whoever tried to get in never made it past the first layer.”

Alexia let out a dry laugh, shaking her head. “Comforting.”

“It should be,” he said, his voice calm. “Because it means the upgrades worked. If this had been a week ago, they might have gotten through.”

Alexia’s expression shifted—frustration, wariness, something else. “And you still think this is an inside job?”

“Someone inside the estate triggered an override at the same time the external attempt happened.”

Her fingers tapped against her arm, a telltale sign of her mind working through something. “So, what happens now?”

Elliot took a step closer. “We find out who it was. And we make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Alexia studied him for a long moment. Then she sighed, shaking her head. “I don’t like this.”

“Neither do I,” he admitted.

She hesitated. “Elliot... be honest. How dangerous is this?”

His jaw tensed slightly, but he forced himself to answer. “It’s not over yet.”

A silence stretched between them before Alexia finally looked away.

“Figures.”

Elliot watched her for a moment, then reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, velvet black case.

Alexia eyed it warily. “What’s that?”

“Something Ava gave me before she left.” He opened the case, revealing five pieces of crimson-red jewelry. A necklace, earrings, bracelet, ring, and an ankle bracelet—each stunning, elegant, yet deceptively simple.

Alexia frowned. “Jewelry? Now?”

“It’s not just jewelry,” Elliot said, his voice quieter now. “Each piece has tracking and built-in distress signals. It’s a safeguard. If anything happens, I’ll know where you are—I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Alexia’s gaze dropped back to the set, her fingers brushing over the ring. “You’re actually serious.”

“Dead serious.”

She hesitated, then picked up the ring, turning it over between her fingers. It was beautifully designed—delicate but sturdy.

“And you expect me to wear all of this?”

“Not all at once,” Elliot said. “But at least one piece, always.”

Alexia shook her head, exhaling. “This is insane.”

“Maybe. But it’s necessary.”

She didn’t argue further. Instead, she slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly.

Elliot watched her. “Promise me you won’t take it off.”

Alexia looked up at him. “Fine. But you better promise me something in return.”

“What?”

“That you’re telling me everything.”

Elliot met her gaze. “I will.”

The words settled between them—unspoken truths hanging in the air, heavy but real.

Alexia exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "You should go. You have a meeting in the morning."

Elliot didn’t move.

For the first time that night, she saw it—the hesitation. The shift.

He wasn’t ready to walk away.

He reached out, brushing his fingers lightly over hers where they rested against the ring. The touch was brief, but it lingered just enough.

"I’ll stay."

Alexia blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"Just for a while." His voice was low, steady. "If that’s okay."

Something in her chest tightened, then relaxed.

She didn’t want to need him here. But she did.

Without answering, she turned and grabbed the remote, turning on the TV. A random movie was already queued, the opening credits rolling.

Alexia curled up on the couch without a word, leaving just enough space beside her.

Elliot took the invitation for what it was. Not a surrender, not a request—just quiet understanding.

He sat down next to her, arm resting lightly against the back of the couch.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

The room was warm, the only sounds coming from the film playing in the background. At some point, Alexia shifted slightly, leaning against him just enough to feel the weight of his presence.

Elliot didn’t move away.

Instead, he adjusted—one arm settling around her shoulder, pulling her just a little closer.

She let him.

Minutes passed.

Then, in a voice so soft it almost didn’t reach him, Alexia murmured, "I won’t take it off."

Elliot pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Good."

By the time the movie faded to its final scene, they were both asleep—curled together on the couch, the ring still snug on her finger.

The next morning, Elliot sat in the meeting room, the tension still thick in the air. Harris, Sarah, Anna, and Steven were seated, laptops open, notes in front of them. The large screen at the end of the table refreshed, signaling the incoming connection.

Ava and Ben’s faces appeared.

“Talk,” Ava said without preamble, eyes scanning the room. “What do we have?”

Harris leaned forward, tapping on his laptop. “We confirmed an inside override happened at the same time as the breach attempt. Only a handful of people have clearance to do that.”

“Who?” Ben asked, his expression unreadable.

Sarah clicked on a log, pulling up the estate’s internal access records. “Jonathan wasn’t accounted for. He wasn’t supposed to be near the system last night.”

Ava’s expression didn’t change. “And the outside breach?”

Elliot exhaled. “We don’t have an ID yet, but whoever it was knew exactly where the weak spots were. They didn’t expect the upgrades, though.”

Ben tilted his head slightly. “You think Jonathan is working with someone?”

Elliot met his gaze. “I think we can’t rule it out.”

Ava tapped her fingers against the table, deep in thought. Then, finally, she spoke.

“That means two things. One—we need to lock down internal access immediately. No one gets in or out of that system without multiple clearances from now on.”

“And two?” Elliot prompted.

Ava’s eyes sharpened. “We need to figure out who the hell was outside that gate.”

Ben nodded slowly. “Because if they tried once, they’ll try again.”

The words settled into the room like a heavy weight.

And everyone knew—this wasn’t over.

Not by a long shot.

The estate had settled into an uneasy stillness. After the meeting, the team had dispersed, each tasked with handling a different piece of the unfolding mystery. But Elliot couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

He stood in his study, one hand resting on the desk while the other held a glass of water—his mind too alert for anything stronger. The screen in front of him still displayed the last frame of the security footage: the blurred figure disappearing into the trees.

Jonathan.

But the timing didn’t sit right. Why now? And why had the external attempt happened at the exact same time?

A sharp knock at the door broke his thoughts. Anna stepped inside, her expression unreadable.

“You’re going to want to see this,” she said, handing him a tablet.

Elliot took it, scanning the data logs Sarah had been running in the background. His grip on the glass tightened.

“This can’t be right.”

Anna crossed her arms. “It is.”

Elliot exhaled slowly, his mind racing. Someone had accessed the old backup security network—the one decommissioned four years ago when Ben and Ava overhauled the system. The one that shouldn’t have been active at all.

Someone accessed it from inside the estate.

“Does Sarah know?”

“She’s running deeper scans, but this wasn’t a random hack. Someone knew exactly what they were doing.”

Elliot stared at the screen, then at the faint red glow from the security panel in the room’s corner. A signal light—one that shouldn’t be on unless the old system had been engaged.

His fingers hovered over his phone. Then, instead of calling, he walked past Anna toward the hallway. “Alexia’s suite. Now.”

Alexia had changed into something more comfortable. The alarm, the meeting, the way everyone had looked at each other but said so little.

Something wasn’t adding up.

She sat cross-legged on the couch, a book open in front of her, though she hadn’t turned the page in fifteen minutes.

A knock. Firm. Deliberate.

“Alexia, it’s me.”

She exhaled, setting the book aside before unlocking the door. Elliot stepped inside, Anna right behind him.

“Why do I get the feeling this isn’t just a check-in?” she asked, eyeing them both.

Elliot didn’t waste time. “Someone inside the estate accessed an old security network. One that was supposed to be shut down four years ago.”

“And you think this is connected to whoever tried to get in?”

Anna spoke up. “It’s more than just a connection. The system wasn’t breached randomly—it was turned on.”

“By who?”

Elliot’s silence made her stomach drop. “We don’t know yet,” he admitted.

Alexia stared at him, waiting for more.

But before he could say another word, a small beep sounded from a table next to the couch. She turned, confused, before realizing it was her laptop.

A message.

A message she hadn’t been expecting.

Alexia walked toward it slowly, her hands suddenly cold as she tapped the keyboard.

One new email. No sender. No subject.

Just six words.

“The truth is... you are..."