The monitors flickered in the dim light of the penthouse basement, casting ghostly reflections across the walls. Alina adjusted the zoom on one of the cameras, scanning Sterling Tower’s grounds for any sign of movement. She felt Hope shift in her arms, the child’s small weight grounding her amid the tension.

Patricia leaned over the console, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she cross-checked sensor feeds. “All clear… for now,” she muttered. “But the patterns aren’t ...