Alex raised his brow in question. "So this... this is personal now?"
Raymond’s eyes darkened as he turned to face him completely. His voice dropped, now cold and serious.
"It beca personal the mont they crossed lines they shouldn’t have," he said. "And for that, I intend to make them pay."
The air in the room suddenly felt heavier.
Zane, who had been standing silently in the corner, finally spoke. "Every network has a weak link. And The Circle... they’ve grown too comfortable. That... is their flaw. That’s how we’ll break them."
Alex nodded slowly, absorbing the weight of it all. He felt like he had just stepped into the middle of a firestorm with no way out.
"So what now?" he asked, his voice quieter this ti.
Raymond turned back to the glowing screen, tapping his fingers across the interface with maps and signals find Elliott," he said. "We find out what he knows.
Alex’s voice almost broke. "And if they’ve taken him?"
Raymond didn’t even blink.
"Then we go get him. Whatever it takes... We move."
That hit Alex deep. He stared at Raymond, his voice almost doubtful.
"You’re willing to do all that... for ? For my friend? A guy you’ve never even t?"
Raymond turned to face him again. This ti, his expression softened just a little, not much, but enough to show he ant what he was about to say.
"This isn’t just about you or your friend, Alex. Getting soone from inside The Circle... soone who knows their system, their routines, their weaknesses - that’s huge. Right now, we don’t need friends. We need allies. And if your friend Elliot can beco one of them, then yes, I’ll risk it."
The room fell into silence again. Not the awkward kind, but the deep, thoughtful kind. Each man lost in weight of their decisions pressing down on them.
Alex looked once more at Elliot’s image on the wall. He rembered Elliot’s voice in the dark, the way he covered for him, the way he whispered, "Run." He owed him this.
Alex looked up, breaking the silence.
"Speaking of allies... what do you think about Mr. Finch?"
Raymond raised an eyebrow, surprised. Then a smile slowly ford on his face.
"Funny you ntion him. He talks about you. Said you were stubborn, always asking questions."
Alex chuckled lightly. "Sounds like him."
Raymond nodded.
"The man may be old, but his mind is still sharper than most young people I’ve t. He’s creative, strategic, extrely detailed. I’ve watched his files and how he breaks down patterns... It’s brilliant."
He turned slightly and folded his arms.
"To be honest, I need soone like him right now. Especially now that there’s a leak in the company."
Raymond’s voice grew more serious.
"Philip’s position as analyst needs to be filled imdiately, and Finch fits that role perfectly."
Then he turned to Alex fully and looked at him straight.
"You think he can handle that kind of pressure?"
Alex smiled slowly, a bit of pride in his eyes.
"I love the idea. Honestly, I never thought you’d consider him."
Raymond gave a light shrug. "Desperate tis call for smart people."
There was a small pause. Then Raymond leaned against the desk and asked the big question.
"So... what about you, Alex? Are you taking your words about quitting back?"
Alex looked down. His heart pounded. The thought of going back to a normal life felt more and more impossible.
"I don’t know," he answered truthfully. "A part of wants out. I’ve seen too much already. But I’ve also gone too far to turn back now. Still... I need ti. Ti to process all of this."
He looked up again locking eyes with Raymond’s.
"But if I’m doing this if I’m staying in... I need sothing from you."
Raymond tilted his head. "What?"
"My safety," Alex said. "You have to promise , if I’m staying in this ga, you have to make sure I don’t disappear like the others."
Raymond stared at him, then shook his head slowly.
"Alex... no one’s ever truly safe. The mont you start to believe you are, that’s when the danger finds you."
He stepped forward and put a hand on Alex’s shoulder.
"But I can promise you this, we don’t walk alone. Not in here. You stay sharp, stay alert, and we’ll walk together."
Alex’s face brightened... There was a long, deep silence between them.
Raymond turned away from the screen and looked at Alex, his voice lower now but firm.
"You know NEOSPACE isn’t in your hands anymore," Raymond said.
Alex frowned. "Because of what happened with Rebecca, right?"
"Yeah," Raymond nodded. "They’ve taken full control now, based on your contract."
Alex looked confused. "Can’t they be sued or sothing?"
Raymond sighed. "You were actually the first to breach the contract, Alex... when you accessed her files without permission. Even though it was the right thing morally. Legally... It gave them ground."
Alex’s shoulders dropped. The weight of it hit him hard.
Raymond stepped closer. "But listen... the next project you work on won’t just have behind it. It’ll be backed by ADIG Corporations as a whole."
Alex looked stunned. His eyes widened and he stood straighter, caught completely off guard.
"You an..."
Raymond cut in, almost smirking. "I an, we’re bringing you in as a partner. You’ll be working with us now. So don’t disappoint . Co back... and do a damn good job."
For a mont, Alex couldn’t speak. His heart thudded in his chest. Partner? He couldn’t believe his ears.
He managed a breath. "I... I don’t even know what to say."
Raymond raised a brow. "Start with ’thank you,’ and follow it up with results."
Alex gave a small laugh, more from shock than humor. "I’ll definitely bounce back. Stronger than before."
"..."
Just then, a buzz echoed through the room. Zane, who had been silent all this while, stepped aside and answered his phone quickly, pressing it tight to his ear.
His face instantly changed. The room went quiet as he listened carefully.
"What? How’s the security there?"
A pause.
"Keep your surveillance up. Don’t lose sight of anything. And whatever you do, Make sure he remains alive. You hear ? Alive."
He ended the call quickly and turned to Raymond with a low but urgent voice.
"Looks like you were right," he said grimly, glancing toward Alex. "They’re holding him captive."
Raymond’s jaw clenched. "We’re late."
Alex’s breath caught in his throat. His voice cracked.
"Wait... who’s ’they’? Who are you talking about? Is it... is it Elliot?"
He didn’t get a verbal answer. He didn’t need one. He saw it clearly on their faces.
Raymond and Zane both shared a brief, silent look, the kind of look people share when the truth is too painful to speak out loud.
Alex took a step back. The room swayed slightly around him.
"God," he whispered. "I knew it. I knew it from the start. Sothing felt wrong..."
He looked back at Raymond, anger mixing with confusion.
"But how did you find out so fast? I only ca here less than an hour ago. You didn’t even know he was missing before now."
Raymond’s eyes locked with his.
"We’ve been tracking him," he said calmly. "Started two days ago."
Alex froze. "Two days?"
Raymond nodded. "I had a feeling. After what he did for you, I knew he’d beco a target. So we started the search before you even stepped in here today."
Alex swallowed hard as a strange mix of anger and gratitude filled his chest.
"So you’ve been watching him... all this ti?"
"We’ve been trying to find him," Zane corrected. "Watching would an we had eyes on him. Truth is, he vanished. Until now."
Alex’s hands clenched at his sides. "And now that you found him, he’s in their hands."
Raymond stepped forward again, his tone like steel.
"We don’t leave people we want behind. Not him. Not anyone."
Alex’s eyes burned. "So what do we do now?"
Raymond turned to the screen, tapping a few buttons until a map appeared, coordinates flashing red on a remote location.
"We find a way to get him back. By all ans necessary. Even if we have to tear through their walls."
Zane added, "This won’t be easy."
"We still do need to save him," Alex said sharply. "He saved . I owe him my life."
Raymond nodded, turning to Alex. "Then we don’t stop... until he’s back with us."
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