Ivy barely blinked as the jet took off from the private runway. The safehouse had been compromised, and with Maddie gone and Leo vulnerable, the only choice left was to disappear—strategically.
Aiden's private plane sliced through the night sky. Inside, Ivy clutched Leo to her chest, his little body finally asleep, unaware of the storm rising around them.
Across from her, Aiden typed furiously on a sleek laptop. Ivy's gaze lingered on him—not just the billionaire mogul now, but something colder, sharper. The man she'd once resented was now her only shield.
"You're uploading the files?" she asked.
He nodded. "Not yet public. I'm sending fragments to my legal team, a cybersecurity firm, and a trusted journalist. If anything happens to me, everything goes live."
"And if nothing happens?"
He looked up. "Then we decide how to strike first."
Ivy exhaled, brushing a hand over Leo's hair. "I still can't believe Maddie's gone."
Aiden's jaw tensed. "I have men tracking her. They found tire marks, partial plate scans. It's only a matter of time."
"I hate waiting," she murmured.
He stared at her for a moment. "Then let's stop waiting."
The Hideout – Aiden's Off-the-Grid Estate
By dawn, they landed in the Scottish Highlands, on land Aiden had bought in silence years ago. No cameras. No roads. Just mountains, sky, and fog.
"You lived here?" Ivy asked, stepping down from the jet.
"I bled here," he muttered. "This is where my father sent me after I disappointed him."
The wind picked up as Leo stirred in her arms. She paused, heart squeezing. "So we both know what it's like to be raised by ghosts."
Aiden didn't answer. He just opened the gate to the stone manor hidden behind thick fir trees.
Inside, Ivy laid Leo down and turned to Aiden. "Why are you helping me?"
His stare was unreadable. "Because I've been on the other side. Powerless. Alone."
"Are you trying to atone?"
"No," he said. "I'm trying to make sure your son doesn't grow up with the same scars we did."
She swallowed. "Thank you."
His voice softened. "You don't have to thank me."
"I do," she said. "Because I spent so long thinking no one would come."
Later That Night – Command Room
Aiden's estate housed more than old fireplaces and faded portraits. Beneath it was a command center—monitors, maps, encrypted lines.
Ivy sat at the edge of the table while Aiden briefed his team over a secure call.
"We hit the Raye facilities at dawn. Labs in Prague, Zurich, and Montreal—all funded under shell corporations tied to Eden's legacy."
One of his men cut in, "We only have 36 hours before they notice the breach."
"That's all we need," Aiden replied. "I want hard copies, identities, funding trails. Expose everything."
Ivy slid over the USB Renner had given her. "Add this. He said it holds boardroom logs—names of those who funded human trials."
Aiden stared at it. "You really want to go public?"
"I want Leo to grow up in a world where monsters don't hide behind titles."
His voice lowered. "This could change everything, Ivy."
She leaned in, almost whispering. "Good."
Meanwhile – Unknown Location
Maddie's wrists were bruised from the zip ties, but her eyes were steady. Vincent stood before her, hands clasped behind his back.
"You were never just the assistant," he said with a cruel smile.
She didn't respond.
"You were Ivy's insurance policy."
Still nothing.
He stepped closer, voice dropping. "She's alive. I underestimated her. I won't do it again."
Maddie smirked through the pain. "You're too late."
Vincent knelt before her, tilting her chin up. "You think Aiden Thorne can protect her?"
She spat in his face.
He stood calmly, wiping it with a cloth. "I'm going to bury them all, Maddie. Just like I buried her father."
Her breath caught—but she masked it with silence.
He turned toward the camera at the corner of the room. "Let her watch this later. Let Ivy know what happens to traitors."
Back at the Manor
Aiden found Ivy staring into the fire.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Too much guilt."
"You didn't kidnap Maddie."
"No. But I brought her into my mess."
He sat beside her, the fire casting shadows across his face. "She made her choice, Ivy. She believes in you."
"She shouldn't."
"Why not?"
She swallowed. "Because I'm still broken."
Aiden turned to her slowly. "Then let me help you heal."
Their eyes locked. The silence wasn't empty—it was full of everything they hadn't said. She felt herself leaning toward him, unsure if it was grief or gratitude or something much more dangerous.
But before anything could happen, his phone buzzed.
He stood, tension rippling through him. "They found Maddie."
Her heart stopped. "Alive?"
"Barely," he said. "We move now."