“It was Arthur Mercer’s personal account,” Vance whimpered. “He authorized the payment directly. I have the digital signature.”

I took a step forward, my eyes straining to see through the darkness.

Suddenly, a loud click sounded from behind me.

The bright beam of a flashlight hit my eyes, blinding me instantly.

“I told you to come alone, Elena,” a woman’s voice said from the shadows near the entrance.

I blocked the light with my hand, squinting into the glare.

A figure stepped into the light, holding a small silver pistol.

It was Vivian.

Vivian lowered the flashlight slightly, but the barrel of the pistol remained pointed at my chest.

My hand instinctively went to my stomach, protecting the small life growing inside me.

“You should have stayed in the hospital, Elena,” Vivian said, her voice dripping with ice.

The rain hammered against the metal roof above us, a relentless, deafening beat.

“Vivian, put the gun down,” Marco’s voice boomed from the darkness near the back of the warehouse.

He stepped out of the shadows, his face grim.

In his left hand, he held a black USB drive.