The city was restless that night, lights burning too bright against a sky that refused to offer comfort. Alyssa stood alone in the upper level of the parking structure, the wind tugging at her coat as if trying to pull her back from the edge of a decision already made.

Below her, the financial district glowed—glass towers, moving traffic, money flowing invisibly through wires and whispered deals. Somewhere in that maze of concrete and greed, Davin was about to complete a transaction that would tighten his grip on everything she had been fighting to protect.

Tonight, she would cut the artery.

Her phone vibrated once in her palm.

Rafael: The...