(Ethan’s POV)

    The conversation between Olivia and Matthew in the armored vehicle had enraged me beyond measure. I mmed my fist against the metal desk in my hideout, the sound echoing through the abandoned warehouse.

    “She said she could break my system, that my backdoor defenses are weak? What arrogance!” I seethed into the encryptedmunication device.

    My father’s voice crackled through the speaker, calm but warning. “Son, don’t be reckless. The Alpha King’s power isn’t something to underestimate.”

    “Father, you don’t understand,” I argued, pacing back and forth like a caged wolf. “Destroying

    Olivia ckwood would be like severing one of Matthew Kane’s limbs. Without his greatest asset, the Alpha King will falter in our power struggle.”

    Fan Moonstone’s silence stretched for several heartbeats. When he finally spoke, his tone was probing. “Can you truly harm your own half–sister?”

    I scoffed dismissively, my lip curling with contempt. “Sister? I never even cared about Lyra ckwood, let alone a sister I’ve only met a few times.”

    The words tasted bitter on my tongue, but they were true. Lyra had abandoned me, left me with that monster Annelise who whipped her memory into my skin every night.

    “You are my top priority, Father. I have a scapegoat already in ce,” I assured him, my voice. steady with conviction.

    Another pause. Then Fan’s approval came through, weighted with expectation. “Son, I’m counting on you. But be careful. If you’re exposed, find a scapegoat.”

    I smiled coldly at the device. “Don’t worry. By tomorrow, the legendary Cipher will be nothing but a memory.”

    (Olivia’s POV)

    Back at the Shield Chain Technology office, I was perched on my office chair, trying to fish a hidden surveince camera out of the sprinkler head. The tiny device had been cleverly concealed, but my enhanced senses had detected its electronic signature.

    Bastian Miles burst through my door without knocking, his face pale with panic. “M–Ms. ckwood… someone is here for you!”

    Before I could fully process his words, I looked toward the door and met Matthew’s calm golden gaze. He set Aurora down gently, her small hands clutching a stuffed wolf.

    Matthew strode over with supernatural grace, effortlessly lifting me off the chair with his Alpha strength. “What are you doing?” he asked in a low rumble.

    “Surveince camera,” I replied simply, watching as he reached up to retrieve it himself.

    Bastian was frozen in terror behind us. Through the window, I could see the entirepany building had been surrounded by arge contingent of the Alpha King’s Royal Guard.

    Matthew tossed the camera into the trash with controlled fury. “I’m here to pick you up from work. Can we go now?”

    His tone was casual, but I could sense the tension coiled beneath his calm exterior.

    Something had happened.

    As I gathered my things, Matthew sat on the sofa, hismanding Alpha presence filling the small office space. He calmly engaged Bastian in conversation, his voice carrying that unmistakable authority.

    “You work for my mate,” Matthew said conversationally, and I saw Bastian’s eyes widen in recognition.

    Aurora yed with an old puzzle cube from my desk, her little fingers struggling with theplex mechanism. I took it from her gently, solving it with a few deft twists using my enhanced reflexes.

    “Pretty!” Aurora pped her hands, delighted.

    The scene quickly rified the situation for the bewildered Bastian. His boss wasn’t just any she–wolf – she was the Alpha King’s mate.

    Once I was ready, I took Aurora’s hand and led the way out. The guards weren’t ordinary pack warriors but heavily armed Royal Sentinels, their faces hidden behind tactical masks.

    Our transport wasn’t the usual vehicle but an armored SUV with reinforced windows. Inside, Leo was happily ying on a tablet, his face bright with excitement.

    “Matthew, look! I passed level twelve in the strategy game!” Leo showed him the screen

    proudly.

    “Excellent work,” Matthew praised, ruffling Leo’s hair with genuine affection.

    I understood then that this overwhelming show of force wasn’t just protection – Matthew knew about the challenge from Zero. His protective Alpha instincts were on high alert.

    At the Kane Estate, Matthew followed me to our private chambers. The moment the door closed, his facade of calm cracked slightly.

    “I will find Zero. You don’t need to get involved,” he stated firmly, pulling me onto hisp with gentle but possessive Alpha strength.

    I leaned into his warmth, feigning obedience while my mind raced. “I have suspicions about who Zero might be.”

    “Tell me.”

    “Either Ethan Moonstone or Loric Steele from Thorne Industries,” I said carefully. “Someone nted a suspicious miniptop in my briefcase at the exhibition.”

    Matthew’s jaw tightened. “Everyone at the exhibition hall was under surveince by my intelligencework. We’ll find him.”

    I cautiously proposed my n. “I could engage Zero in a digital battle, keep him upied long enough for your team to pinpoint his location using supernatural tracking.”

    “No.” His response was immediate and final. “Your safety is what’s important.”

    He exined his strategy – a two–hour city–wide ckout to allow Gina Frost’s tech team to secure the Sovereign’s Citadel’swork.

    “Trust me,” he urged, kissing me deeply with Alpha intensity. “When I capture him, I’ll make him hand over his system. You won’t have to show your edge.”

    With that promise, he left, taking myptop with him.

    But Matthew had forgotten one crucial detail – my phone also had the Cipher system installed. Moments after he left, the device lit up with urgent alerts.

    Zero had begun his attack. The Sovereign’s Citadel was plunged into darkness.

    My phone rang with an unknown number. I answered cautiously.

    A disguised voice taunted me through the speaker. “Cipher, afraid to ept my challenge? Does he think a ckout can stop me? Come on, let’s see who’s better. Don’t let me look down on you!”

    After a brief shock, my training took over. I instantly used my system to trace the call’s

    location, my enhanced strategic abilities cutting through his digital camouge like a de.

    The signal originated from the Mooncrest Global exhibition center.

    Without a second thought, I grabbed my keys and rushed out to my vehicle. The streets were dark, but my supernatural senses guided me through the chaos.

    I sped through the city, my heart pounding with anticipation and dread. This was exactly what Matthew had tried to prevent, but I couldn’t let Zero’s arrogance go unchallenged.

    The exhibition center loomed ahead, its windows dark and empty. I parked quickly and approached the main entrance.

    The building felt wrong – too quiet, too still. But I pressed forward, my instincts screaming warnings I chose to ignore.

    Just as I walked through the entrance, cold metal pressed against my temple. A loaded gun was pressed against her temple.