Rio de Janeiro, Brazil & Geneva, Switzerland
The heat in Rio clung to Nora's skin like an unshakable omen. Standing in the middle of the abandoned tram station near the docks, she waited. Kaito paced behind her, weapon holstered but ready.
Across the rusted rails, Felix Monroe emerged from the mist—his hands raised, casual, confident.
"You look like Aunt Celia when you're angry," he said.
Nora's voice was cold. "You look like every family mistake rolled into one."
Felix laughed softly, stepping closer. "Come now, cousin. I thought blood meant more to you than that."
"Not when it's selling secrets to Archer Grey."
He shrugged. "I never sold secrets. I traded futures. Archer didn't twist my arm—he showed me a mirror. Our family built Tavara on shadows and half-truths. I just stopped pretending to be the hero."
Kaito stepped forward, but Nora raised a hand to stop him.
"You faked your death in Nairobi," she said. "Then you sabotaged the Danzig initiative, leaked Parliamentary records, and now you're funneling assets through ghost firms."
Felix's expression shifted. "All to stop the real enemy—your father."
Nora froze. "What are you talking about?"
"Ask Damien," Felix said. "Ask him what really happened to your grandfather. Ask him who orchestrated the death of the Hargrave siblings in 1982. Ask him what your mother sacrificed to keep you alive."
Before she could respond, a gunshot rang out—Kaito had fired near Felix's feet.
"We're done here," Kaito snapped.
But Felix simply smiled and tossed a data chip toward Nora. "Proof. Everything. Take it or burn it. But when the walls fall, remember who offered you the truth first."
He vanished into the steam before another shot could follow.
Nora stared at the chip, torn between rage and dread.
---
Geneva, Switzerland – Monroe Estate Archives
Damien stood in front of the old family archive, deep beneath the estate's wine cellar. Beside him, Charles Monroe—his father's younger brother—held a thick black journal bound in crocodile leather.
"I told your father to burn it," Charles muttered. "But he kept it. Legacy, he said. Now it's your curse."
Damien flipped through the pages, hand trembling slightly. The Monroe dynasty's real history wasn't etched in boardrooms and battlefields—but in bribes, cover-ups, and covert bloodlines.
One page caught his attention: a faded photo of a young man beside a woman with Nora's eyes.
"Who's this?" Damien asked.
Charles exhaled. "That's Caleb Hargrave. Your mother's first fiancé. Killed in a car bombing in Tunisia."
Damien turned. "What does this have to do with Nora?"
Charles hesitated, then opened another folder.
"Because Caleb was her uncle. And that bombing? It was orchestrated by your grandfather to consolidate control over a rival pharma conglomerate. The explosion that killed Caleb also crippled his sister—Nora's mother."
Damien's breath caught.
"That makes it personal," he said. "And dangerous."
Charles nodded. "That's not all. Your aunt Vivian—she didn't fake her death alone. She had help from someone in Russian intelligence. And guess who was stationed in Prague at the time?"
Damien didn't need to ask.
"My mother."
---
Rio de Janeiro – Monroe Private Jet Hangar
Night had swallowed Rio as Nora and Kaito boarded the waiting jet. She clutched the chip from Felix, its weight growing heavier with every mile they traveled from the jungle of lies they'd uncovered.
As the engines roared to life, Damien's voice came through the secure line.
"Nora, we need to talk. I know what Felix told you."
"And?"
"And he's right. Partly. Our families… they were allies once. Then competitors. Then executioners."
She said nothing.
"I found the report. Your mother was a target—collateral. They planned the entire explosion to destroy the Hargraves' research on regenerative medicine. Your family's technology would have changed warfare."
Nora closed her eyes. "And instead, they buried it."
"Yes. Because peace doesn't profit."
Silence stretched between them.
Then she spoke, "There's no going back after this, Damien. We're not just fighting Archer anymore. We're fighting legacies."
"I know," Damien replied. "And I'm ready."
---
Moscow, Russia – Undisclosed Vault
Archer Grey leaned back in his chair as his systems decoded stolen files from Tavara's military database. Behind him, Vivian Monroe appeared on the screen.
"Felix delivered the bait," she said.
"And Nora took it?" Archer asked.
Vivian smiled. "She took it, and now she's questioning everything."
Archer leaned forward. "Perfect. Let them drown in their own bloodlines. While they unravel, we finish the real plan."
Vivian's eyes narrowed. "And what of Damien?"
Archer's grin widened. "He still thinks family matters. Let's show him it doesn't."