Tavara – In Damien's Private Estate, Eastern Highlands
The storm outside mirrored the one inside Damien's chest. Thunder rumbled across the hills of Tavara as he stood alone in his study, the lights dimmed, the fire flickering low.
In his hand was the faded journal from Geneva, now smudged with ink and guilt. Names of the fallen stared back at him—some murdered, others sacrificed. Most… forgotten.
Nora's voice echoed in his mind from earlier that day.
"If we keep burying truth beneath blood, there won't be anything left worth saving."
He poured himself a glass of bourbon but didn't drink. Instead, he walked to the hidden vault behind the bookshelf and keyed in the biometric code. The steel door hissed open to reveal a red folder marked:
OPERATION: LION'S SPINE
It was the operation that sealed his family's ascent. A 1990s covert mission that took out three African biotech rivals in one weekend—companies owned by descendants of the Hargraves and protected by the League of Southern Trade.
The worst part? His uncle Charles wasn't just a bystander—he was the architect.
Zurich, Switzerland – Secret Underground Bunker
Nora sat across from Kaito and Aunty Malia—her late mother's elder sister, once thought to have died in Angola during a rebel skirmish.
"I changed my name. Faked a death. Lived off-grid for years," Malia said, voice rasping. "But when I heard Vivian Monroe was alive… I knew it wasn't over."
Nora stared at her, stunned. "Why didn't you come forward?"
"Because your mother warned me never to. She knew Archer and Vivian would kill off the rest of us to erase history."
Kaito interjected, "Vivian faked her own death, funded black-market memory reprogramming, and helped build Archer's empire. But why?"
Malia placed a weathered envelope on the table. Inside was a photo of Vivian and Archer… with Damien's grandfather between them.
"They were his protégés," Malia whispered. "He trained them in economic warfare and intelligence sabotage. Before Damien's father took over, Vivian was next in line. She lost everything when she was sidelined."
Nora's chest tightened. "So this isn't about control. It's revenge."
"No," Malia said. "It's worse. It's reclamation. She wants Tavara—and she believes it's rightfully hers."
---
Tavara – Damien's Estate, War Room
By midnight, Nora had returned to Tavara. The jet touched down under cloak protocols, and within the hour, she was with Damien.
She looked worn, but not broken.
"They killed my mother's brother," she began. "They buried the Hargrave lineage. Now, Vivian wants to rewrite that history—and Archer wants to profit from the fallout."
Damien stood silent, eyes locked on a new report from their Istanbul asset. Dozens of Tavaran diplomats were being detained globally, on charges fabricated through forged evidence.
"They're destabilizing Tavara from the outside," he muttered.
"And from the inside," Nora added. "We have spies in Parliament, in the medical board, even in the educational system."
Damien turned. "So we uproot them. One by one."
She moved closer. "And what about Vivian?"
"I'll handle her."
"No," she said firmly. "We handle her. Together."
There was a pause, their eyes locked. Then Damien nodded. "Together."
---
Location: Santiago, Chile – Military Data Farm
Deep underground, in a restricted data vault guarded by ex-Spetsnaz mercenaries, a woman in a gray cloak moved through the shadows.
She paused at the final firewall—then smiled.
"Hello, old friend," she whispered.
A single override key lit up the room. The system responded:
Welcome back, Cassandra Lin.
Cassandra, the Monroe family's ex-Head of Intelligence—once believed dead after the Lagos operation—was alive.
And now… she was back.
She typed one final line:
Phase Zero Activated – Bloodline Protocol