Chapter 61: The Heart of the Enemy
The estate’s cold, cavernous halls swallowed Cambria’s footsteps as she pressed deeper into the lion’s den. Every shadow felt like a whisper of danger, every flicker of light a signal that she was not alone. Maddox’s presence lingered like a ghost at her back, but she kept her focus razor sharp; this was her mission, and she would not falter.
The walls around her echoed with the ghosts of their past, but Cambria refused to be haunted. Not tonight. Not ever again.
She paused at a heavy oak door, her target. Behind it lay the secrets that could shatter Blackwood’s empire and expose her father’s deepest betrayals. The information that would either free her or bury her forever.
Her fingers brushed the cold brass handle. A soft creak betrayed the door’s movement as she pushed inside.
The room was a stark contrast to the rest of the estate, sterile, clinical, almost like a vault disguised as an office. Screens lined the walls, each glowing with live feeds, encrypted files, and data streams. At the center stood a large desk, littered with papers and folders that looked to hold the key to everything.
Cambria’s eyes scanned the room, adrenaline sharpening every sense.
And then she saw him.
Grayson Blackwood. His figure leaned casually against the desk, the epitome of calm menace. A dark suit hugged his lean frame, his eyes cold and calculating, fixed intently on the screen before him.
"You’re braver than I expected, Cambria," Blackwood said smoothly, not bothering to look at her. "But bravery doesn’t win battles. Power does."
Cambria stepped forward, voice steady despite the rage curling beneath her skin. "Your reign ends tonight, Blackwood. I’m here to take you down."
He finally turned, a smile curling on his lips, one devoid of warmth, heavy with cruelty.