But I would be turning his empire into his prison.

I sat down at the wooden table, my hands still shaking.

I opened my phone’s browser and accessed my encrypted cloud backup.

The files were still there, protected by the master key Ethan wanted so badly.

I began drafting an email to Ethan’s private address.

I needed to make the bait irresistible.

I wrote: *I have the keys. We meet at the Apex tower. Tomorrow night.*

I hesitated before hitting send.

I needed to make sure the feds would be watching, even if they couldn’t intervene immediately.

I began writing a script to redirect the tower’s security feeds.

It would take hours of coding on a mobile interface, but I had no choice.

My fingers flew across the glass screen.

Suddenly, the phone vibrated in my palm.

An incoming call from an unknown, blocked number.

I pressed the screen to answer, holding the phone to my ear.

“Claire,” Ethan’s voice crackled through the speaker.

He sounded calmer now, which made him far more dangerous.

“I’m listening,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.