Lina's POV
I heard nothing from the other end.
The silence pressed against my chest like a physical weight. I couldn't sit still. My fingers drummed restlessly against the armrest of the chair,every passing second felt like an eternity.
Finally—*finally*—my phone buzzed. Silas. Thank the Moon Goddess.
I snatched it up before the second ring. "What happened? Is Gloria safe?"
"She's fine. Alpha Marcus took the bullet—grazed his shoulder, nothing serious. But Wendy..." Silas paused, and I could hear the frustration in his voice.
"She's gone. A group of mercenaries extracted her. Professional, coordinated. They created a diversion—explosives on the east perimeter—and by the time we neutralized the threat and secured the Alpha and Luna, they'd already vanished with her."
