Alina’s scream lingered in the basement, bouncing off steel walls and glass monitors. It was a sound of rage, despair, and disbelief all tangled into one, raw and primal. Patricia tightened her grip on her, heart hammering. She had never seen Alina unravel like this before—not even during the attacks, not even when Lucian had threatened the tower.

Hope stirred, tiny whimpers slipping from her lips. Alina’s head snapped toward the crib, hands trembling violently as she reached for her ...