[Elena's POV]

Adrian's burner phone was gone.

Caleb had quietly taken it from my pocket sometime between the warehouse floor and the operating table. I didn't ask for it back. I already knew the answer would be, "The Boss said no."

So for five days, I only had Nicole's updates on my new phone and my own imagination, which was not a healthy combination.

Her messages came in fragments. A voice note of Mom humming while doing a puzzle. A blurry photo of a luxury villa's garden.

Then, two days ago: Adrian's been locked in his office for 36 hours straight. The guards look terrified. Something's happening, El. I don't...