The black SUV flew down the empty city streets, the engine roaring loud in the morning air. Harrison gripped the steering wheel with both hands, his knuckles completely white.

His dark eyes scanned the road ahead, tracking the last known direction of Sarah’s car. Julius sat in the passenger seat, his phone open on his knees, checking the tracking signal as fast as possible.

"The signal from her gate swipe dropped off," Julius said, his voice raw and shaking with anger. "She took the exit toward the old industrial district. Harrison, push the gas. We are losing her."

"I am pressing it, Julius," Harrison growled, his low voice thick with a dangerous irritation. They tore around a wide corner, the tires squealing against the ground.

Ahead of them, the road split into three different directions near a massive line of old warehouses. The street was completely empty.

There was no sign of Sarah’s black sedan. "Which way?" Harrison demanded, his eyes darting to the rearview mirror and then back to the open road.

"I don’t know," Julius muttered, throwing his phone down in pure frustration. "The tracking on her card is dead. She threw it away."

"She must have changed cars or planned this exit route weeks ago." Harrison slammed his foot on the brake, bringing the massive SUV to a sudden, harsh stop in the middle of the empty road.

He hit the steering wheel hard with the palm of his hand, a loud curse escaping his lips. His Enigma scent flared through the car, hot and angry.

"She disappeared," Harrison said, his jaw clenching so tight a muscle jumped in his cheek. "She had a clean escape planned. We lost her."

Julius stared out the window, his chest rising and falling with fast, shallow breaths. The anger in his stomach felt like a hot fire, but underneath it, the deep hurt was starting to take over.

Sarah had been his shadow for years. "Let’s go back," Julius said softly, his voice dropping into a flat, tired tone.

"There is nothing here." Harrison didn’t say a word as he turned the car around and drove back toward the penthouse.

The silence inside the vehicle was heavy and thick. When they finally arrived back at the penthouse, the private elevator doors closed behind them.

Julius walked straight into the living room, throwing his coat onto the long couch. He didn’t sit down and instead began to pace back and forth across the rug, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides.

"How did I not notice?" Julius burst out, turning to face Harrison, who was locking the front door behind them. "She was right in front of me every single day."

"I trusted her with my life, Harrison. I gave her everything. And she sold me out to the men from my past."

"Julius, stop pacing," Harrison said quietly, walking over to him. "No! I won’t stop!" Julius yelled, his eyes bright with hurt and pure rage.

Harrison stepped directly into his path, his massive body stopping Julius from moving. He reached out, his large, warm hands coming up to grab Julius’s shoulders.

He squeezed firmly, using his heavy presence to force Julius to focus on him. "Look at me, baby. You have me."

"I am not going anywhere, and I promise you I will help you find her. We will find out who paid her, and we will take them down together."

Julius looked up at him, his lips trembling slightly as he fought back the wave of exhaustion and pain. He rested his forehead against Harrison’s broad chest for a single second, breathing in the comforting scent.

"I need to go to the office before she leaks the files," Julius whispered against his chest. "No," Harrison said instantly, his voice turning firm.

"You are staying right here in this penthouse. You are not stepping one foot outside."

Julius pulled back, his eyebrows drawing together as a small argument started to flare between them. "What do you mean I’m staying here? Harrison, my life is falling apart outside those doors."

"I can’t just sit on your couch like a prisoner." "It’s not a prison, it’s safety," Harrison countered, his dark eyes narrowing as his protective instincts took over.

"I can protect myself," Julius said, his voice rising as he tried to push Harrison’s hands off his shoulders. "I can and I will if it keeps you alive," Harrison rumbled.

His voice dropped into a low, dominant command as he leaned down slightly, his face inches from Julius’s. "Listen to me very carefully."

"You promised me yesterday that you would let me handle the street side. I want you to promise me, right now, that you will stay inside this apartment."

Julius stared at him, his chest heaving. He hated feeling helpless, but looking at the fresh bandage on Harrison’s shoulder, he knew the man was right.

"Fine," Julius muttered, looking away. "I promise. I won’t leave the penthouse."

"Thank you," Harrison murmured. He reached up, his rough thumb gently brushing against Julius’s jawline, keeping him close for a lingering second.

"I will be back up before 1 hour. Just sit down and breathe." Harrison grabbed his dark jacket, checked the heavy gun at his waist, and walked out of the penthouse.

Julius let out a long breath and sank onto the edge of the couch. The apartment was completely dead silent.

He couldn’t just sit around while Sarah destroyed everything. He needed to control it all and see if she left any clues behind at the office across town.

I will be back before his 1 hour is up, Julius thought. He did not care that maybe he was going to have to sort things out with Harrison if he even finds out that he left the premises.

Right now all that mattered was getting Sarah. He stood up, grabbed his phone, and slid out of the penthouse.

He took the private elevator down to the garage, got into his dark car, and drove toward the office. The ride was suffocating.

Every red light felt like a personal insult, every quiet street a reminder of how fast his world had fallen apart. Julius kept his hands tight on the wheel, his jaw locked.

He thought about the years he had spent building Vane Global from nothing. Every late night, every missed dinner, every handshake he had trusted.

Sarah had been there for all of it, watching, smiling, taking notes. And the whole time, she had been feeding information to the people trying to destroy him.

His head kept replaying scenes of her practically smiling in his face. He hit the steering wheel twice.

The pain in his hands was nothing compared to the betrayal already eating him alive. The streets were mostly empty as he took a shortcut through a quiet warehouse district.

Suddenly, a massive black truck roared out from a side intersection and rammed violently into the side of his car. The heavy impact lifted his car, sending it rolling over the street until it landed upside down.

Inside, Julius groaned. He unbuckled his seatbelt and crawled out through the shattered window, his breathing heavy.

His jaw cut open, he was bleeding heavily, but the adrenaline completely took over the pain. He staggered to his feet.

A large van slammed its brakes nearby, and two men dressed in black stepped out, their faces hidden behind gas masks. Julius dropped into a fighting stance.

"Who the hell are you?" The first man lunged forward, throwing a heavy punch.

Julius ducked underneath the swinging arm and drove his elbow hard into the man’s ribs, sending him back. But the attacker recovered fast, swinging a heavy metal baton.

Julius blocked the strike with his forearms, ignoring the stinging pain. He stepped inside the man’s defense, grabbing his vest and driving his knee hard into the man’s stomach.

The attacker gasped, dropping the baton. Julius raised his fist to strike again, but the second figure emerged silently from behind the crushed car.

Before Julius could turn, a sharp click echoed through the air. A thick, grey cloud of heavy gas sprayed directly into his face.

Julius inhaled, and the toxic vapor hit his lungs like fire. His eyes burned instantly, and his throat closed up. He staggered backward, his back hitting the crushed metal of the car.

His body felt like it was shutting down from the inside, every muscle betraying him at once.

"Get him down," a rough voice muttered. Julius tried to swing his fist, but his arms felt heavy like lead.

The strength vanished from his legs, and his knees buckled beneath him. The hard street rushed up to meet his face.

The world began to spin, fading into a heavy blackness. He felt large, rough hands grabbing his shoulders, lifting his limp, bloody body off the ground.

With his very last breath, Julius closed his eyes. "Harrison..." he whispered into the cold, empty night, and everything went black.