Twice Taken: 16. Shadows of Betrayal

The evening fell over the city with a slow, deliberate weight, as if the world itself was holding its breath. Elena sat at the edge of the study, her fingers wrapped around a warm cup of tea she barely drank, while Max moved with lethal precision, coordinating with their security team over encrypted lines. Every sound outside the apartment seemed amplified—the distant honk of a car, the whisper of wind against the building—turning ordinary noises into potential threats.

“You’ve done everything we can for now,” Max said finally, sitting across from her, his hands steepled on the polished table. His eyes, dark and piercing, scanned her face, searching for signs of weakness, distraction, fear. “But we have to be ready for any move they make. No detail is too small.”

Elena nodded, though the pit of her stomach churned with unease. “And what about the files… the USB?”

Max tapped the table once, deliberate. “I’ve duplicated everything, encrypted the copies, and hidden the origi