Chapter 79: The Battle for Control

The footsteps echoed down the cold, sterile hallway, growing louder with each passing second. Ava’s heart pounded in her chest as she pressed herself against the wall, her weapon raised and her eyes locked on the entrance. They had entered the bank undetected, but their cover was blown now. Meridian’s operatives were closing in. “Callum, we don’t have much time,” Ava whispered urgently into her comms, glancing toward the terminal where Callum was working furiously to complete the hack. His fingers flew across the keyboard, his face pale with concentration. “I’m almost there,” Callum muttered, his voice tense. “Just a few more seconds, and I’ll have full access to the accounts.” Ava nodded, but the tension gnawing at her chest didn’t ease. The mission had been running smoothly until now, but with Meridian’s operatives closing in, they ran out of time. If they didn’t finish the job soon, everything they had worked for would be lost. “They’re coming,” Lucas growled softly, his eyes fi