*System override in progress. Five minutes until total lockdown.*

Nora was still in the study.

She was working against Caleb’s remote hacking, trying to seal the entire estate.

But if she didn’t finish the sequence, Caleb would regain control.

And if she stayed in the study too long, Caleb’s men upstairs would find her.

I had to reach her.

I had to get through Elena and her men before the five minutes were up.

“Marcus,” I whispered.

“On my mark.”

Before I could move, a loud, metallic clanging sound echoed from the far end of the corridor.

It came from the direction of the service elevator.

The heavy steel doors of the elevator shaft were rattling.

Someone was trying to force them open from the inside.

Elena’s mercenaries turned their heads toward the sound, their attention divided.

The distraction was small, but it was all we had.

I raised my gun and took aim.

At that exact moment, the emergency lights flickered again.

The red spinning lights died, leaving us in near-total darkness once more.

Then, a sharp, high-pitched beep sounded from the wall panel next to Elena.