Dawn had begun to creep across the city, painting skyscrapers in muted shades of gold and pink, but in the heart of the abandoned dockyard, darkness still ruled. Shadows stretched across the containers like predators lying in wait, the air thick with anticipation and tension. Isabella’s pulse raced, each beat matching the drum of her footsteps as she moved alongside Dante, her fingers barely brushing his but grounding her in the reality of the moment.

They had rehearsed this confrontation in their minds countless times, but now that it was real, every second carried weight, every sound a potential threat. Dante’s eyes, dark and unreadable, scanned the environment with the...