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Chapter 21: Something Stolen, Something Burning
The van rocked over gravel roads as Savannah drove them away from the ruined black site. Eliot sat up front, bleeding. Rina sat in back—silent, staring at the small black drive she'd ripped from Voss's system.
"What's on it?" Savannah asked.
Rina didn't blink. "Everything."
Blueprints. Trial logs. Subject files. And one folder labeled:
> ATHENA PROTOCOL – PROJECT: IMMORTAL.
Eliot looked at her through the rearview mirror. "You stole the heart of their next move."
She nodded. But her hand trembled.
Because among the files… was a scan of her mother's handwriting.
And a message.
> If you're reading this, it means I failed. But you don't have to. You were always more than they told you, Rina. Always.
– Dr. Mira Maxwell
Tears welled. She wiped them quickly.
"Where do we go now?" she asked.
Eliot's voice was low. "We go to the root. Kane's real headquarters. The one they keep off the grid."
Savannah raised an eyebrow. "That's a suicide mission."
"Maybe," Eliot said. "But if we die, we die with the truth in our hands."
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Author's Note:
If this chapter gave you chills or made your heart race, don't forget to add Billionaire in Disguise to your library. It helps keep the story growing—thank you for reading!
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