My phone vibrated against my thigh.

I pulled it out and tapped the screen.

A text message from Vice Admiral Thomas Bell appeared.

*We are at the perimeter.*

Gordon stood up, his eyes darting toward his study at the end of the hall.

“Get the files,” Gordon whispered to Paul, his voice urgent. “Now.”

I stood up, stepping directly into the dining room doorway to block his path.

The front doorbell rang, loud and metallic, echoing through the house.

“Out of the way, Evelyn,” my father said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous register.

He took a step toward me, his hands curling into fists at his sides.

Nathan moved instantly, stepping up beside me, his broad shoulders easily filling the remaining space in the frame.

“She told you to stay here, Mr. Hart,” Nathan said.

His voice was entirely calm, the flat tone of a man who had faced far worse than an angry executive in a dining room.

Caroline let out a soft sob, her fingers clutching at Nathan’s sleeve.

“Nathan, please, what is happening?” she whispered.