Chapter 2 - PREPARING FOR WAR.
The safe house was buried beneath a defunct textile factory on the edge of the industrial district.
I unlocked the heavy iron door and breathed in the familiar scent of gun oil and stale dust.
Flipping the circuit breaker illuminated a concrete room filled with everything I needed to become a monster again.
I walked past the crates of ammunition and stopped in front of a heavy steel wardrobe.
Inside hung a pristine, tailored white suit.
It was a statement piece, designed for mobility but styled for dominance.
If I was going to crash a billionaire’s gala to hunt down my mother's associates, I had to look like I belonged at the top of the food chain.
I stripped off my civilian clothes and began the methodical process of armoring up.
A kevlar-weave vest went on first, tightly secured beneath a silk blouse.
I slipped into the white trousers and buttoned the double-breasted jacket.
In the mirror, the terrified mother was gone, replaced by an apex predator.
I pulled open a weapons drawer and selected a sleek, suppressed tactical pistol.
It slid perfectly into the custom holster strapped to my thigh, completely invisible beneath the cut of the suit.
Next, I pulled on a pair of elbow-length black leather gloves.
They were elegant but reinforced with lead across the knuckles.
I needed to send a message tonight, and bare hands were too personal.
My phone buzzed on the metal workbench.
It was my contact, confirming that my alias had been successfully added to the guest list for the evening.
The target was Cassandra Sterling.
Cassandra was a fiery, arrogant socialite who laundered my mother’s blood money through offshore art auctions.
If anyone knew where Eleanor had taken Lily, it was Cassandra.
I checked my reflection one last time.
My hair was slicked back, offering nothing for an enemy to grab in a fight.
My expression was a perfect mirror of the cold calculation I had seen on my mother's face in the security footage.
To defeat the devil, you have to speak her language.
I walked out of the safehouse and climbed into the sleek black sedan waiting in the alleyway.
The engine roared to life, echoing off the brick walls like a warning to the city.
I drove toward the glittering skyline of the financial district, my heart completely devoid of fear.
There was only room for vengeance now.
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Cassandra would talk, or Cassandra would bleed.
I would tear through the entire upper echelon of this corrupt city if it meant getting my daughter back.
