?Chapter 1575:


    The sight dragged her mind back to that night on the top floor of the banquet center—another helicopter, the same lethal silhouette, bristling with weapons. What kind of organization was The Mask? In a quiet ce like Wront, they could summon this level of firepower on a whim.


    She had once thought of them as shadowy, morally gray vigntes. Now the truth felt colder, deeper, more dangerous.


    Her thoughts turned to Dominic, and a chill realization struck her. Her brows knit together.


    “Oh no…”


    At the banquet, Dominic’s main forces hadn’t shown up. This time was different. The Mask’s operation was loud, visible, aggressive—exactly the kind of thing that would draw military attention. If the armed forces mistook The Mask for a terrorist cell tied to Cooper Group, they wouldn’t hesitate. They’d open fire.


    And that would be catastrophic.


    Maia wasn’t the type to forget a debt. Even though Raegan had once tried to kill her, The Mask—the organization Chris was part of—had saved her life twice. She could not let the military and The Mask tear each other apart. That would only hand victory to the real puppet-masters behind Cooper Group.


    She was still weighing her next move when Siena’s phone red.


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    Siena kept both hands locked on the wheel, foot nted on the elerator, and jabbed the speaker button without looking. “Talk.”


    A wind-whipped voice burst through the line, urgent. “Siena! We’re closing on the north suburban tunnel—but we’ve gotpany. Unknown unit, heavily equipped, moving fast on our nk toward the tunnel.”


    Siena’s jaw tightened. “Stay low. Do not engage unless you have no choice.”


    “Copy.”


    The line went dead. Silence filled the sedan again.


    Siena flicked a nce at Maia. “Should we warn them? The Mask saved you at South Lake Park, and it feels like that mystery force is gunning for them.”


    Maia’s expression darkened. The one thing you dread most has a way of happening.


    Her fingers curled hard against her thigh. Warn them? How? Just hours earlier, she had shut Chris down cold at the bar with harsh words. And now she was supposed to reach out first?


    She let the thought go. Whether that mysterious squad was hunting The Mask’s people or not, she preferred to get her answers straight from Dominic.


    “Siena—pull over. We’re not going in.”


    Siena braked hard. The sedan fishtailed briefly before settling on the gravel shoulder a few hundred yards from the tunnel’s gaping ck maw.


    “You’re calling off the chase?” Siena asked, confused.


    “Yes.” Maia stared straight ahead at the tunnel entrance, her voice level and analytical. “If we drive in now, we turn that tunnel into a kill box. We’d be trapped between whoever’s already inside and whatever’sing up behind. I’m almost certain the group trailing us is military. We cannot get caught in the middle of their fight.”


    She drew a slow, steady breath, steeling herself. She had to stop this before misunderstanding became massacre.


    Maia pulled out her phone, scrolled to the recent call log, and tapped Cade’s number without hesitation.


    It rang twice. Then Cade’s voice—bright, almost shaking with excitement—came through. “Ms. Watson! You called back! How can I help you?”


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