Chapter 360

Chapter 360:

What had once been a rustic family retreat now resembled a fortress. Sensors dotted the tree line, and cameras swept the property with careful precision. Armed men patrolled the perimeter, their movements precise and disciplined.

“She’s turned it into a damn compound,” Alexander whispered, his jaw clenched with tension.

Stefan wiped the rain from his face. “Rose never does anything halfway.”

The boats were hidden behind the split pine tree Margaret had called the “twin tree,” while the water team of six men now spread through the woods. The road team waited on the opposite side of the property, ready for Alexander’s signal.

“Talk me through it again,” Alexander said, his voice barely audible over the rain. “Every entrance. Every weak point.”

Stefan closed his eyes, visualizing the cabin he’d never visited but had heard described countless times.

“The front door faces the road. The back door opens to the lake. There’s a cellar entrance on the east side, hidden under a fake rock garden.” His hands shook as he pointed. “The kitchen window has a broken lock, or it did when the Lewis family owned it. Margaret always complained about it letting in cold air.”

Alexander relayed the information through his earpiece to the teams. The rain grew heavier, a blessing that muffled their approach and obscured the cameras. A guard passed just fifteen feet from their position. Alexander tensed, his hand moving instinctively to his weapon, but the man continued his patrol, unaware of their presence.

“Six minutes until the road team creates their distraction,” Alexander murmured. “Then we move.”

Stefan nodded, clutching the small fishing lure Margaret had given him. The wood felt rough against his palm, a connection to a time when Camille had been happy—before he and Rose had destroyed everything.

Thunder cracked overhead as lightning illuminated the sky. In that brief flash, Stefan saw Alexander’s face—not the controlled businessman he knew, but something primal and dangerous.

“If anything happens to her…” Alexander’s words trailed off.

“It won’t,” Stefan said, trying to convince himself as much as Alexander.

Alexander checked his watch. “Two minutes. Jason, position report.”

“East side secure,” came the whispered reply through their earpieces. “We’ve identified three motion sensors and a trip wire. All disabled.”

“West team?”

“In position. Guard approaching. Hold.”

Tense seconds ticked by. Rain drummed against the leaves above them, the only sound breaking the silence.

“Guard passed. West side ready.”

Alexander turned to Stefan. “You stay behind me at all times. If I say run, you run. If I say hide, you hide. No heroics.”

Stefan wanted to argue, but the steel in Alexander’s eyes stopped him. This was a side of Alexander Pierce that few ever saw—the man beneath the tailored suits and boardroom smiles.

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Message from Noah: Hope you enjoyed the chapters dear ones, God loves you, and Noah wishes you all the best. (૭ ｡•̀ ᵕ •́｡ )૭

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