The ride back to the safe house was cloaked in heavy silence. Theo sat in the back seat, his fingers clenched tightly around his phone. The words Marcus had spoken in the parking lot echoed in his mind, each syllable pounding like a drumbeat.

They’ve got the data. All of it.

Theo’s jaw tightened as he stared out the window at the passing cityscape. He felt the ground shifting beneath him, the foundation of everything he had built cracking under the weight of a single sentence.

Marcus, seated in the front passenger seat, was scanning the road with his usual intensity. Despite his calm exterior, Theo could see the tension in his posture, the sharp focus of a man calculating the next move.

“Say something,” Theo finally demanded, his voice clipped.

Marcus didn’t look back. “We’ll handle it.”

“That’s it? That’s your grand solution? ‘We’ll handle it?’” Theo’s voice rose. “Orion isn’t just a project, Cain. It’s my life’s work. If they’ve got the data, it’s over. The whole thing is over!”

Marcus turned in his seat, his sharp gaze cutting through Theo’s panic. “It’s not over unless you give up. And I don’t think you’re the type to give up.”

Theo stared at him, anger flashing in his eyes. “You don’t know me.”

“I know enough,” Marcus said evenly. “You’ve built an empire. You didn’t do that by panicking every time something went wrong.”

Theo opened his mouth to argue but stopped, the words catching in his throat. He hated that Marcus was right.

When they arrived at the safe house, Rebecca was waiting for them, her face pale and drawn.

“I’ve been monitoring the feeds,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “There’s chatter on the dark web about Orion. Someone’s trying to auction the data.”

Theo froze. “Auction it? To who?”

Rebecca shook her head. “That’s the thing—it’s not clear. They’re using encrypted channels to hide the buyers. But whoever’s behind this isn’t wasting time. The auction starts tomorrow.”

Marcus crossed his arms, his expression hardening. “They want to sell Orion fast. That means they know we’re onto them.”

Theo sank into a chair, his head in his hands. “Tomorrow. That’s not enough time to do anything.”

“It’s enough,” Marcus said firmly.

Theo looked up at him. “You keep saying that. But I don’t see a plan, Cain. What are we supposed to do? Magic our way into their operation?”

“No,” Marcus said. “We infiltrate the auction.”

Rebecca blinked. “You’re serious?”

“Dead serious,” Marcus replied. He turned to Theo. “You’re the CEO of Montgomery Innovations. The name alone will get their attention. We use that to get you in as a potential buyer.”

Theo stared at him, incredulous. “You want me to walk into a den of criminals and pretend to be one of them? Are you insane?”

“It’s the best chance we’ve got,” Marcus said. “They won’t expect it. And once we’re inside, we can shut it down.”

Theo leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. “This is insane.”

“It’s also your only option,” Marcus said. He stepped closer, his voice lowering. “You said Orion was your life’s work. Prove it. Fight for it.”

Theo hesitated, his mind racing. Every instinct screamed at him to back out, to run in the opposite direction. But deep down, he knew Marcus was right.

“What’s the plan?” Theo asked finally.

Marcus began outlining the operation. “Rebecca will set up a secure connection to monitor the auction. We’ll use a dummy account to enter as a potential buyer. Once we’re in, we’ll use Theo’s credentials to make contact with the sellers.”

“And then what?” Theo asked.

“We locate the server they’re using to host the auction,” Marcus said. “Once we have access, we’ll upload a virus to wipe Orion from their system.”

Rebecca frowned. “That’s a big risk. What if they trace the virus back to us?”

“They won’t,” Marcus said confidently. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Theo leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. “And what happens if they catch us?”

“They won’t catch us,” Marcus said.

“And if they do?”

Marcus met his gaze, unflinching. “Then we fight our way out.”

Theo exhaled slowly, the weight of the plan settling over him. “This is insane.”

“It’s also your best shot,” Marcus said. “The auction starts tomorrow night. We have less than twenty-four hours to pull this off.”

The rest of the night was a blur of activity. Rebecca worked tirelessly to set up the dummy account, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she bypassed layers of encryption.

Marcus reviewed the blueprints of the auction site—a warehouse on the outskirts of the city. He laid out the plan with military precision, outlining entry points, exit strategies, and contingencies for every possible scenario.

Theo, meanwhile, prepared himself mentally for what lay ahead. He wasn’t used to being out of his element, but this was a world he didn’t fully understand.

“You’re quiet,” Marcus said, approaching him.

Theo glanced up. “Just thinking about how much I hate this.”

“You’ll hate it less when it works,” Marcus said.

Theo gave a dry laugh. “That’s your version of reassurance, huh?”

Marcus’s lips twitched in the faintest hint of a smirk. “You’ll be fine. Just follow my lead.”

Theo looked at him, studying the man who had somehow become his anchor in the middle of this chaos. For the first time, he felt a flicker of hope.

As the clock ticked toward midnight, Marcus gathered the team in the main room.

“Tomorrow night, everything changes,” he said, his voice steady and commanding. “We’re walking into enemy territory, but we’re not going in blind. Stick to the plan, trust each other, and we’ll get out of this alive.”

Theo nodded, his resolve hardening. “Let’s do this.”

The room fell silent as the weight of the mission settled over them. Tomorrow, they would face their enemy head-on—and for Theo, it wasn’t just about survival anymore. It was about taking back what was his.