Chapter 49 - The Geneva Trap
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Geneva was a city built on pristine secrets. The streets were immaculately clean, the citizens wealthy, but beneath the polished surface lay the financial arteries of the global underworld.
Our private jet landed under a fake corporate alias. Elias and I walked through the terminal, dressed in sharp, tailored business suits, blending in perfectly with the international bankers. But we weren't there to trade stocks. We were there to end a war.
As we stepped out of the airport to hail a private car, three black armored SUVs pulled up sharply to the curb, boxing us in.
Elias instantly reached inside his jacket, his hand resting on his weapon.
The rear door of the center SUV opened, and a tall, silver-haired man stepped out. He possessed the elegant posture of a European aristocrat, but his eyes were entirely dead.
"Miss Yates," the man said, bowing his head slightly. "I am Julian. Madam Sterling’s head of security. She sent us to escort you to the Bank of Shadows."
"Julian," I said smoothly, stopping two feet away from him. "Tell me, did Madam Sterling enjoy the explosive gift I left her men in the Parisian catacombs?"
Julian offered a thin, patronizing smile. "A minor setback. Madam Sterling knew you would survive. She also knows you possess the Genesis Code. She has invited you to the central vault to negotiate a peaceful transition of power. She is willing to grant you your mother's seat on the Council."
"A peaceful transition?" Elias scoffed. "After sending two hit squads?"
"Business is business," Julian replied smoothly. "Please, get in the car."
I looked at Elias and gave a microscopic nod. We knew it was a trap. Victoria Sterling didn't negotiate; she eliminated threats. But the only way to expose her to the rest of the Council was to walk directly into the lion's den and spring the trap from the inside.
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"Lead the way, Julian," I said, sliding into the back of the armored SUV.
As the convoy drove toward the financial district, I felt the cold titanium hard drive in my pocket. Victoria thought she was luring a naive American into a slaughterhouse. She didn't realize she had just invited the butcher.
