Ava stood at the window of her office, gazing out at the city below. It was late, and the streets below were a tangle of lights, shadows, and forgotten stories. The world seemed normal, as if nothing had shifted. But inside her, everything was unraveling.

The quiet hum of her office filled the air, but Ava felt the weight of silence pressing in on her. Her mind was restless, the memories of Marcus's execution clawing at her thoughts. The echoes of his voice, the feeling of his presence when he had been alive—it all felt so surreal. But what haunted her now were the fragments of her past, the pieces of herself that she had buried deep, hoping they would remain forgotten.

"Hey, you okay?" Eric's voice broke through the haze of her thoughts, and she turned to find him standing in the doorway, looking at her with concern.

She gave him a half-smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I don't know. I'm not sure I'll ever be okay again."

Eric stepped into the room, his posture tense but familiar. They had been through so much together, and despite the turmoil, she could still find comfort in his presence. But now, there was something different in his gaze. Something she couldn't quite place.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, his voice soft.

Ava hesitated, torn between wanting to share the chaos swirling inside her and the fear of losing control. After everything, could she trust him completely?

"Not yet," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "But there's something I need to do. Something I should have done before."

Eric raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

Ava's mind flickered to the last conversation she had with Marcus, to the cryptic warning he had given her before his death. You're in deeper than you think, Ava.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she turned away from Eric, walking over to her desk. She pulled open a drawer and retrieved the thick file that had been sitting there for weeks—the case that had remained untouched since Marcus's execution.

"I need to look at this again," she said, her voice low. "There's something I missed. Something that doesn't add up."

Eric frowned but didn't argue. He knew Ava's instincts were sharp, and when she had a feeling, it was often right. He stepped closer, his eyes scanning the contents of the file over her shoulder.

"It's the last report from the investigation into the syndicate," Ava continued, her fingers tracing the words on the page. "We've missed something big, Eric. The people involved in Marcus's operation, they're still out there. And I have a feeling they're closer than we think."

Eric leaned in, his brow furrowing. "You think Marcus was just a pawn? That there's someone pulling the strings?"

Ava didn't answer right away. She wasn't sure. But the thought had been gnawing at her for days. She had been too focused on the investigation into Marcus and his role in the syndicate, but now, with the pieces beginning to fit together, it was clear. The operation was far bigger than she had ever imagined.

"I need to find out who's still running things," Ava said, her voice resolute. "And I need to do it now."

Eric nodded, his eyes narrowing. "I'll help. We can go through the old intel, see if anything new comes up. But you're right, we can't let this go."

Ava looked at him, her mind racing. She could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on her, but there was no turning back now. Whatever had started with Marcus's death, it wasn't over. The game was still in play, and this time, she was ready to see it through to the end.

"Let's get to work," she said, standing up and grabbing her jacket. "We have a lot to do."

As they left the office, Ava's mind was clouded with a sense of urgency. She had the answers she needed, but the more she uncovered, the more dangerous the game became. There were forces at play—people who had stayed in the shadows, watching, waiting. But now, the web was tightening.

And Ava was right at the center of it all.