That night I received a message from an unknown encrypted contact.
No greeting.
No introduction.
Just a statement.
"You met Elara."
My heart slowed.
They really were watching.
Another message followed:
"Your father refused us."
Then:
"We want to know if you will."
My fingers hovered over the phone.
Then I typed carefully:
Refused what?
Their reply came instantly.
"The chance to control outcomes instead of surviving them."
Power again.
Always power.
But I remembered Adrian's words.
Fear people who want control.
I replied with one sentence:
I am not my father.
Three dots appeared.
Then their answer:
We know.
Pause.
That is why you are more interesting.
I didn't sleep that night.
Because deep down I understood something clearly.
Book One was survival.
Book Two was temptation.
And somewhere in the dark…
Someone wanted to see if I would become stronger than my father.
Or more dangerous.