Chapter 12: Burning Bridges
The safehouse was on edge.
Aaron's betrayal still hung heavy like smoke in the air, but Elara knew they couldn't afford fractures—not now.
"We need a new plan," she said, voice sharp.
Dominic leaned back, exhausted. "The Roths have eyes everywhere. They're cutting off all our exits."
Elara clenched her fists. "Then we make our own path."
That night, she sent a secure message.
A single line: "Meet me at the old marina. Midnight."
No signature.
Midnight.
The marina was dark and silent, waves lapping against the docks.
Elara waited, heart pounding.
A figure emerged from the shadows.
"Rook," Elara breathed.
The whistleblower smiled grimly. "You're playing a dangerous game."
"I'm running out of options."
Rook handed her a small envelope. "Inside: a list. Names, locations, bank accounts linked to the Roth network worldwide."
Elara's eyes widened.
"This is everything we need to hit them where it hurts."
Rook's voice dropped. "But using this will burn bridges. Allies will become enemies."
Elara nodded. "I'm ready."
Back at the safehouse, Aaron studied the list.
"We hit these targets simultaneously," he said. "It'll cripple their operations for months."
Elara stared at Leo, sleeping peacefully.
"This is for him," she said. "For his future."
The next days were a blur of strikes.
Hacking, exposés, raids.
The Roth family's empire trembled.
But retaliation came swift and brutal.
One night, a grenade exploded outside the safehouse.
Windows shattered, alarms blared.
Leo screamed.
Elara grabbed him, shielding him from the chaos.
In the aftermath, as sirens wailed in the distance, Elara's resolve hardened.
"They want to break us," she said.
Aaron helped clean the debris.
"We'll rebuild," he promised.
Elara looked out into the night, determination blazing.
"This war isn't over. It's only just begun."