?Chapter 953:


    Ste jumped in, quick and sharp. “No!!”


    She caught herself immediately—probably came off a little too intense. She softened her tone fast. “I mean… you don’t need to skip work for me. I’ll be fine. Promise.”


    William studied her a beat, then finally nodded—but only after making her swear she’d call him if anything felt off.


    As soon as he left, Ste let out a full-body sigh of relief. After powering through lunch, she saw him off to the institute, then grabbed the keys and headed out alone in the rental car.


    She didn’t go straight there, though. She took a few extra turns, circled a few blocks—eyes glued to the rearview, just in case someone was tailing her. Once she felt clear, she gunned it toward the run-down industrial zone at Choria Harbor.


    It was about a thirty-minute drive from the vi.


    The closer she got, the more the ce looked like something out of a postapocalyptic movie. Rusted-out shipping containers piled up like scrap metal towers, crumbling factories standing silent, and the air—god, the air—was thick with salt and the stench of old metal and decay.


    Ste wrinkled her nose and followed the coordinates from the cracked code, easing the car into a hidden corner. She took a deep breath, threw on a ball cap and face mask, then grabbed her pepper spray and started creeping toward the warehouse.


    The front door was a wreck—probably hadn’t been locked in years. One light push and it creaked open, loud and slow, like something straight out of a horror flick. Inside was pitch-ck and reeked of mildew. It felt like the ce hadn’t seen a soul in forever.


    Her heart was pounding. Palms sweaty.


    She flicked on her phone’s shlight, the beam cutting through the dark andnding on piles of busted-up equipment and scattered trash. She moved slow, careful, scanning every inch—nerves buzzing.


    Your source: g??ln??v??ls.??????


    The whole setup had her on edge, body tight, senses turned up to ten. She hadn’t forgotten the warehouse incident with those crates tied to Haley—not even close. Last time had nearly gotten her killed. So now, she stayed quiet. No sudden moves. Just her eyes constantly darting, catching every flicker of movement around her.


    ording to the clue from the file, the goods were supposed to be stashed in the southeast corner. No idea if she was reading it right, but that was where she headed.


    She circled the area once, scanning the floor. Then—bingo. A few of the old wooden boards looked like they’d been pried up before, the edges showing faint marks.


    Her heart did a little flip. She dropped down and yanked up the loosest nk. There it was: a small metal box, wrapped tight in stic—like someone had gone out of their way to keep it dry. The thing looked weird. Off.


    The second she saw it, her heart almost punched a hole through her chest. She’d actually found it.


    Hands trembling, she pulled the box free and slowly opened it.


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