Elena leans subtly toward Kelly, resting a grounding hand on her arm. Kelly's shoulders drop a fraction in relief.
I watch them both.
Then Adrian continues:
"They targeted my household, they targeted my people, and still showed off because they achieved it using my own team."
The room holds its breath. All he said were facts.
Adrian's voice sharpens: "We retaliate. Tonight, we stop defending. We start hunting their dens and incapacitating their people."
Max clears his throat. "We have Gracia's intel partially decoded. Their plan is—"
"Not good enough," Adrian snaps.
Max stiffens.
Adrian exhales once, slowly. "Give me the full report."
Max straightens. "The Veil's breach team was three units. Only one unit entered. The others held distance, likely waiting for extraction."
Adrian's eyes narrow. "Meaning they expected to retrieve someone."
The implication falls like a dead weight.
Kelly's breath shakes.
Her fingers curl tighter on her lap.
I shift closer behind her.
