Chapter 210

210 Blood and Betrayal

+ Paints)

Mara

After updating Lucian about the clean-out, I headed for Steel Corp. He took it better than I expected, calm, almost too calm, but I was grateful. We didn’t need any more surprises. I chose the mini coupe for the drive. Small. Fast. Easy to weave through the city without drawing attention.

When I arrived, the military presence outside Steel Corp was a wall of control and intimidation. A line of stone-faced soldiers, locked and loaded. I paused behind the wheel, staring at them. The image dragged up bitter memories, of deserters, of ground we’d lost. Of how this family, my family, was slowly bleeding out while Chase kept striking with precision.

He had the upper hand. Always. He knew our faces, our movements, our vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, we had scraps, only what he allowed us to know. That imbalance chilled me to the bone.

I stepped out, tossing my keys to the valet without a word, and made my way inside. The lobby was a hive of tension. People gathered in tight, frightened clumps. Soldiers barked orders, their grip rough, their patience thin. I didn’t spare them a glance. Not out of cruelty, out of necessity. This wasn’t the moment for softness. It was time to root out betrayal. I needed answers. Fast. There were too many suspects, too many shadows. I’d likely need help from the other Alphas to get through the questioning, but before that, I had to speak to the workers.