CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX – THE WALLS HAVE EARS

One night, Cassie overheard two guards talking in low voices. "Sergei knows something's up," one of them muttered. "He's bringing in extra security." Cassie's blood ran cold. She rushed to find Maxwell, relaying what she'd heard. Maxwell's face was grave. "We might need to accelerate our timeline. But we're not ready yet." Cassie paced the room, her mind racing. "What if... what if we create a distraction? Something big enough to throw Sergei off our scent for a while?" Maxwell raised an eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?" Cassie's eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. "We stage a coup. Not a real one, just the appearance of one. Enough to keep Sergei busy while we finish our preparations." Maxwell considered this for a long moment. "It's risky," he finally said. "But it might just work." Over the next few days, they put their plan into motion. Rumors were carefully spread, loyalties subtly questioned. The tension in the compound grew palpable as whispers of discontent spread.