I was a broke waitress with an eviction notice in my purse when a dying six-year-old handed me her phone in a deserted Detroit garage. Minutes later, the city’s most feared man arrived with three black SUVs—and instead of asking who had hurt his daughter, Harlan Voss looked straight at me and demanded to know who had saved her.

The sun was just beginning to peek over the icy horizon of the Detroit River, painting the sky in bruises of deep purple and orange.

Inside the central war room of the Voss estate, large tactical screens displayed live satellite maps of the Rivertown docks. Harlan stood at the head of a long marble table, surrounded by his senior security directors and financial analysts.

I sat near the corner of the room, wearing a soft cream cashmere sweater and black trousers that Mrs. Gable had provided. I held a mug of hot coffee, watching Harlan command his empire with frightening precision.

"Marcus Vane isn't just looking for ransom money," Harlan explained, pointing a laser pointer at Dock 42 on the digital map. "Dock 42 is the primary entry point for a shipment of specialized medical technology being imported from Switzerland—including the artificial heart pump prototype designed specifically for pediatric patients like Belle."

My eyes widened. "The medical equipment... he’s trying to hijack Belle’s treatment?"

"Marcus wants to leverage Belle’s life to force me out of the Detroit Logistics Union," Harlan said, his voice flat and dangerous. "Julianna was tricked into taking Belle to the gala under the pretense of a custody meeting. Marcus used her as bait to lure Belle out into the open."

"Mr. Voss," Vance interrupted, stepping into the room with a tablet. "Vane’s men have set up a perimeter around Warehouse 9 at the docks. They have Julianna tied to a chair inside. Vane just posted a livestream on a private server. He’s giving you three hours to hand over the digital encryption keys to Dock 42."

Harlan didn't hesitate for a single second. "Prepare the tactical teams. We move in twenty minutes."

"Harlan, wait!" I stood up, walking toward the marble table.

The security directors stared at me in shock, unused to anyone interrupting Harlan Voss during an operation. But Harlan simply turned his head, his grey eyes locking onto mine, waiting for me to speak.

"What?" Harlan asked softly.

"It’s a trap," I said, my heart hammering against my chest. "If Vane knows you care about the shipping manifest, he knows you'll come with heavy force. He wants you at Warehouse 9 so he can target the estate while you're gone!"

Harlan’s eyes narrowed slightly. He looked at the satellite map, then back at me. "Go on, Rue."

"Think about it," I said, stepping closer to the table, pointing at the map. "Why would he leave Julianna at Warehouse 9, right near the main entrance of the docks? It’s too obvious. If he wanted to hide her, he’d put her in the cold storage facility near the water—where no one can hear anything. Warehouse 9 is just a distraction to pull your security away from here... and away from Belle."

A heavy silence fell over the war room. The tactical directors exchanged astonished glances.

Harlan stared at the map for ten long seconds, his mind calculating every variable with terrifying speed.

"Vance," Harlan commanded quietly.

"Sir?"

"Split the team. You take Alpha squad to the cold storage facility near the water to retrieve Julianna. Bravo squad stays here at the estate with double perimeter security."

"And what about you, Mr. Voss?" Vance asked.