Echoes in the Smoke

The sterile white halls of the hospital faded behind them, but the aftershocks of what had happened lingered.

Davina was stable.

Richard Lansing had done the unthinkable—saved the granddaughter he never wanted. But his expression after signing the transfusion papers stayed with Gina. It wasn't remorse. It was calculation.

He was already planning his next move.

Three days later, in a towering office buried beneath a fake publishing company, Richard poured himself a glass of brandy and slid a thick folder across his desk.

Inside were photos. Documents. Maps. Surveillance images of Gina Michaels in places she had never publicly belonged.

"She goes by multiple aliases," his assistant reported coolly. "But the operations all trace back to her."

"Operations?"

"She owns a conglomerate of shell corporations linked to import-export chains in Colombia, Antwerp, and Macau. Everything white-glove and perfectly laundered. On the surface, she's clean. But off-record? Drugs. Weapons. Human trade."

Richard's jaw clenched. "She played me. Again."

"She's dangerous," the assistant continued. "And she's building something here. Moving pieces around. People are talking."

"Then make them stop," Richard growled. "But not before I know what she wants. Everything she wants."

Meanwhile, across town, Gina sat in the corner of her private office above an unmarked high-rise. Her top lieutenant, Lucia, stood across from her, arms folded.

"I told you reappearing like this was reckless," Lucia said. "You've compromised the wall we built."

"She's my daughter," Gina replied coolly.

"And he's your weakness," Lucia snapped. "Don't forget, Richard Lansing may not know who you really are yet—but others will. Some already suspect. We've kept you untouchable for a reason."

"I'm aware," Gina said, voice cold as steel.

"Then start acting like it."

Lucia turned and left, leaving Gina with her thoughts and the sound of her own heartbeat pounding in her ears. She had built an empire on control. Now everything felt like it was slipping through her fingers.

That night, back at Dave's loft, the silence between them was heavy.

He watched her as she unpacked a tray of tea, her motions too careful. Too distant.

"You're pulling away," he said quietly.

She looked up, startled, then forced a smile. "I'm just tired."

"No, you're scared. And I don't blame you. But I need to know what you're not telling me."

Gina hesitated, then sat beside him. "When I found you again, I wasn't just chasing closure. I was chasing justice. I had a plan."

He stilled.

"I wanted to take down your father. From the inside. You were part of the strategy. But then..." Her voice caught. "Then you became more. Too much more."

He didn't speak. Just let her keep going.

"I didn't plan to fall in love with you, Dave. And I sure as hell didn't plan to stay."

He exhaled slowly. "So what now?"

"I have enemies. People who will exploit our connection. You and Davina could get caught in the crossfire."

"Then let me in," he said fiercely. "Not as your target. As your partner."

She looked at him—really looked—and for a moment, the steel in her cracked.

Then her phone buzzed.

An encrypted message from a number she didn't recognize.

"One of your wolves is leaking. Check Macau."

Her blood ran cold.

Lucia.

Maybe not now. Maybe not yet.

But someone inside her trusted circle had started feeding information to the outside.

And Gina knew exactly how this would end:

In blood.

In betrayal.

In war.