Ava woke with a start, her eyes flying open as she gasped for breath. The cold sweat on her skin clung to her as she sat up, her body trembling. The memories were there again—fragments, pieces of a life she barely recognized. But they were sharp now, as if someone had cracked open the floodgates of her mind.

Images flashed before her eyes, memories of moments she couldn't place: Marcus, smiling in the early days of their relationship, then the coldness in his eyes when he turned away, the arguments they had, and the silence that followed. She clenched her fists, feeling the weight of everything she had lost, the betrayal, the lies.

She stood and walked to the window, the city outside bathed in the faint glow of dawn. The streets were still, but inside her, chaos was erupting. The phone call the night before—the distorted voice, the cryptic message. It had unsettled her, a warning that things were far from over.

A knock on the door broke her out of her trance.

"Ava?" Eric's voice was muffled through the wood.

She took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from her brow, steadying herself. She didn't want to face him—not yet. But she knew she had no choice.

She opened the door, her expression unreadable. Eric stood there, his face etched with concern.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," he said softly, his eyes scanning her face. "You okay?"

Ava forced a smile, though it felt thin and fragile. "I'm fine. Just... tired."

Eric didn't buy it. He stepped inside without waiting for permission, his eyes lingering on her face, searching for the cracks in her composure. "Ava, we need to talk about what happened last night. The call. Do you think it's connected to Marcus?"

Her stomach churned. The mention of his name sent a wave of grief crashing over her. "It has to be," she said, her voice quieter now. "Marcus wasn't just some casualty in this game. He was a part of it. And whoever was on that phone knows more than they're letting on."

Eric nodded, his jaw clenched. "I've been doing some digging. Ali's been laying low since the execution, but there's something bigger going on behind the scenes. I've traced some of his movements, and it doesn't add up. Whoever's pulling the strings is still out there. And I think Marcus's death was only the first part of a much larger plan."

Ava's heart raced as the weight of his words sank in. "Who do you think is behind all of this?"

"I don't know," Eric said, his voice low, almost hesitant. "But I have a feeling we're about to find out."

Ava felt a cold chill run down her spine. She had thought that once Marcus was gone, the game would be over. But now she realized how wrong she had been. She wasn't just fighting Ali anymore; she was fighting an entire network, an unknown enemy whose reach was far greater than she had ever imagined.

She shook her head, frustration building inside her. "We can't keep chasing shadows, Eric. We need to find out who's pulling the strings—who's responsible for everything. Marcus's death, the lies, all of it."

Eric's expression softened, and he took a step closer to her. "I'm with you. We'll get to the bottom of this together."

Ava's gaze flickered toward the window, her mind racing with the implications of what they were facing. She had been a pawn in a game she didn't even know she was playing. And now, with Marcus gone, she had to take control of her own fate. No more running. No more hiding.

"I'll go back to the warehouse," she said, determination hardening her voice. "There's something there I missed last time. I need to see it again."

Eric nodded, his eyes narrowing. "I'll go with you. It's too dangerous for you to go alone."

She hesitated, torn between her need to uncover the truth and her desire to protect those she cared about. But she couldn't afford to be soft anymore. Not with so much on the line.

"I can't let you do that," she said, shaking her head. "I need to do this alone. The less people involved, the better."

Eric frowned but didn't argue. He knew how stubborn she could be, especially when it came to matters of Marcus.

"Alright," he said, his tone still laced with concern. "But be careful. And don't do anything stupid."

Ava offered him a tight smile before turning away, her resolve hardening with every step. She wasn't sure what she would find when she went back to the warehouse, but one thing was certain—she was no longer a victim in this game. She was a player. And it was time to take her place at the table.

The warehouse was just as empty as the first time she had seen it—silent, cold, abandoned. But now, the air felt different. Heavier. As though it was holding a secret, one that Ava was about to uncover.

She moved through the building cautiously, her eyes darting to every corner, every shadow. The faintest creak of the floorboards beneath her feet sounded like thunder in the stillness. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her, waiting for her to make a move.

She reached the room where Marcus had been held, the place that had once been a prison for them both. The walls still bore the marks of his struggle—the scuffs, the bloodstains, the echoes of a man who had been broken by a game he never asked to play.

Ava crouched down and examined the floor carefully. She didn't know what she was looking for—something that didn't belong, something out of place. And then, just as her patience began to wane, she saw it: a small, nearly invisible mark on the floor near the corner of the room.

She ran her fingers over it, and her heart skipped a beat. It was a hidden compartment. A piece of the floor that had been shifted slightly, revealing a small safe tucked beneath.

Her breath caught in her throat. This was it. This was the key to everything.

Ava stood up, her fingers trembling as she worked to open the safe. She had no idea what she was about to find, but whatever it was, it would change everything. The truth was within her grasp.

As the safe creaked open, Ava braced herself for whatever lay inside.