What are you saying

The standoff was brief. In an instant, Winters' smug expression vanished as Alexander's team descended on him, disarming and securing him.

As the team moved to free Mia, Alexander's mind was still reeling from the twisted reality of Project Paragon. What was the true purpose of this experiment? And what had they done to Mia?

"Get her out of here," Alexander ordered, his voice sharp. He turned back to Victor. "We need answers."

As Mia was carried away, unconscious but alive, Alexander's resolve hardened. He would stop Project Paragon, no matter what it took. This was just the beginning.

Mia's body was limp in their arms as the team moved quickly through the facility, retracing their steps back to the exit. The alarms continued to blare overhead, a constant reminder of the danger they were in. Alexander's heart raced with every step, his mind only focused on one thing—getting Mia out of there alive.

Victor moved beside him, his expression grim but determined. "We're almost there. Just a few more steps, and we'll be out of here."

Alexander didn't respond. His mind was still reeling from the confrontation with Dr. Jace Winters. What had he meant by "the process has already begun"? What had they done to Mia? And why her?

His grip on Mia's hand tightened as they reached the outer fence. Ethan and the rest of the team quickly set to work cutting through the last barrier. Alexander's mind couldn't slow down, racing from one terrifying possibility to the next. The clock was ticking, and he didn't have the answers he desperately needed.

Finally, the last wire was severed, and they were free.

As they moved swiftly through the jungle toward the waiting jet, Alexander kept his focus solely on Mia. She was alive, but how much of her soul was still intact after everything she had endured?

When they reached the jet, they were met with a flurry of activity, the crew preparing for an immediate takeoff. Alexander was about to follow them on board when Victor stopped him.

"We need to talk," Victor said, his voice low and urgent.

Alexander turned, his jaw tight with frustration. "Talk? We need to leave, now. Mia—"

"I know," Victor interrupted. "But this isn't over. Winters, he's not just a scientist. He's part of something much bigger. We've barely scratched the surface, and we don't have all the answers. That's why we need to go back to the estate. We need to debrief and figure out what's really going on."

Alexander's eyes narrowed. "You think we have time for that? Mia's in no condition to be interrogated."

Victor's expression softened. "I'm not talking about interrogating her. We need to understand what we're dealing with—before this whole thing explodes in our faces."

Alexander stood still for a moment, his chest tightening with the weight of the decision. He was torn. His immediate instinct was to get Mia to safety, to protect her from whatever horrors Project Paragon had unleashed. But he knew Victor was right. They couldn't just run. Not now.

"We'll go back," Alexander said finally, his voice filled with steely determination. "But Mia comes first. We make sure she's stable, then we dig into this thing. We do it together."

Victor nodded, his eyes filled with understanding. "Understood."

---

The journey back to the estate was a blur of motion. Alexander barely registered the hours passing as he sat by Mia's side, holding her hand, trying to keep his focus on the woman he loved. The medical team aboard the jet worked tirelessly to stabilize her, but the questions kept swirling in his mind.

What had happened to her? What was this "Project Paragon"? Why had they chosen her?

By the time the jet landed at the estate, the first rays of dawn were breaking over the horizon. The sky was streaked with colors of orange and pink, but it felt like an omen of things to come—bright, beautiful, but tainted with darkness.

As they rushed Mia inside, Alexander's eyes never left her. His mind had one singular focus: protecting her from whatever lay ahead.

Victor and the team worked swiftly, setting up a secure medical space for Mia. The entire estate seemed to hold its breath, the atmosphere heavy with the unspoken understanding that their world had changed irrevocably.

Once Mia was stabilized and in a secure room, Alexander turned to Victor. "Start with Winters. I want everything you can get on him. We need to know who else is involved."

Victor nodded. "We're already tracking his communications. He's not working alone. There are other names connected to Project Paragon, and some of them are dangerous. But we're not just dealing with a scientific experiment. This is bigger."

Alexander's chest tightened. "What are you saying?"

Victor hesitated, clearly weighing his words. "What if Project Paragon isn't just about testing Mia? What if it's about controlling something—or someone—else? We need to be prepared for the possibility that they're after more than just her."