Chapter 316: An Insider Helped Him

The CCTV footage appeared, showing the lobby of Phoenix Talent Agency.

Everything was normal. People coming and going. Regular business operations.

"Advance to 9:40," Dimitri commanded.

The footage fast-forwarded.

At 9:41, two men in dark uniforms appeared in the lobby, carrying equipment cases. They walked directly toward the basement access with complete confidence, as if they belonged there.

"Building security didn’t stop them," Marco said, his voice tight. "Which means either they were compromised or they were inside the facility when security arrived."

"Keep going," Dimitri said.

The footage showed the two men entering the basement.

Then, at 9:45, the building’s backup power system activated, dimming all the lights in specific sections of the building.

"That’s not a normal power fluctuation," Marco said. "That’s a targeted blackout. Someone with access to the electrical system triggered it."

Dimitri understood immediately. There was someone on the inside. Someone who’d helped Dante execute this extraction perfectly.

"Who has access to the building’s electrical system?" Dimitri asked.

"Building maintenance. The property manager. The security chief. That’s it," Marco said, already pulling up personnel files.

The footage showed figures moving through the darkened hallway toward Eve’s office.

Multiple breaches happening simultaneously. Professional. Coordinated. Executed with the precision of men who’d trained extensively for this specific operation.

"There," Marco said, pointing to one figure. "That’s Luca."

Dimitri watched as Luca moved through the footage.

"Show me the extraction," Dimitri said coldly.

The footage cut to the basement.

Luca and his team moving Eve toward the van. Eve struggling, fighting, trying to run. Luca responding with professional restraint, containing her without unnecessary violence, getting her into the vehicle.

The entire operation from extraction to vehicle departure: 4 minutes and 37 seconds.

Professional and clean.

Executed with a level of sophistication that suggested this wasn’t Dante’s first extraction operation.

"They hit the company because they knew the penthouse was expecting an attack," Marco said quietly. "They knew you’d upgraded security. So they pivoted. They chose a different target. A softer target."

"My assumption became their advantage," Dimitri said coldly. "I made them aware of my preparations. And they adapted."

Dimitri stood and walked to the window, looking out at Manhattan spread below him.

Somewhere out there, Dante was holding Eve.

The office door opened.

Mike stormed in, his expression absolutely murderous.

"Tell me everything," Mike demanded, his hands already clenching into fists.

"Dante’s team extracted Eve from her company this morning," Dimitri said, gesturing to the CCTV footage still playing on the monitor. "They used a coordinated assault involving a blackout of the electrical system, which suggests inside help, and a professional extraction team led by Luca. The operation took approximately five minutes from breach to extraction. Eve is currently in an unknown location."

Mike watched the footage, his jaw clenching as he saw his sister being carried into the van.

"Inside help," Mike said flatly. "Who?"

"We’re still determining that," Marco said, already running through personnel files. "But it has to be someone with access to the building’s electrical systems or the security protocols."

"Find them," Mike said coldly. "And when you find them, I want them alive. I want to talk to them before Dimitri kills them."

"Understood," Marco said.

Mike turned to Dimitri.

"What’s the play?" Mike asked. "Because I know you have one."

Dimitri turned from the window.

"First, we figure out who helped them. Second, we track the van. Third, we identify where they’re holding Eve. Fourth, we plan an extraction that guarantees her safety. And fifth, we plan Dante’s death."

"And in the meantime?" Mike asked.

"In the meantime, we wait for Dante’s message," Dimitri said. "He’s going to contact us. He’s going to make demands. And we’re going to figure out what he wants, and then we’re going to find where he’s hiding, and then we’re going to go there and get Eve back"

Marco was frantically working through the personnel files.

"I have something," Marco said. "Robert. Facility maintenance. He called in sick three days ago. Came back to work today. Was in the basement during the extraction window. Building security confirms he was acting strange this morning."

"Find him," Dimitri commanded. "I want to know where he is, who he’s talked to, and what Dante promised him in exchange for helping."

"On it," Marco said, his fingers flying over his keyboard.

Mike stood next to Dimitri, both men looking at the frozen image of Eve being carried toward the van.

"We’re going to get her back," Mike said quietly. "And everyone involved in this is going to die."

"Yes," Dimitri agreed. "But we need to be smart about it. We need to move carefully. Because Eve’s life depends on us making the right decisions."

"What about Dante?" Mike asked. "What happens to him?"

"Dante dies," Dimitri said with absolute certainty. "But not quickly. Not cleanly. He dies understanding exactly what his mistake cost him."

The office was quiet except for the sound of Marco’s keyboard and the hum of the building’s systems.

Then Marco spoke.

"Incoming message," he said, his voice cutting through the tension. "Unknown source. Encrypted and routed through multiple proxy servers. It’s coming through now."

Mike and Dimitri both moved toward the monitor.

"That bastard," Mike said, his hands clenching into fists. "He’s already making his move."

"Let it come," Dimitri said, his voice absolutely cold. "We listen to what he has to say. And then we plan his destruction."

Marco pulled up the incoming message.

A video file.

An audio file.

A text file.

All marked "URGENT."

Dimitri stood at his desk, staring at the incoming files.

"Open it," Dimitri commanded.

Marco’s cursor hovered over the first file, the video file marked "PROOF."

He clicked it.

The monitor flickered, and then a feed appeared.

It showed a room. Concrete walls. Industrial lighting. A woman sitting on a bed, looking directly at the camera with the kind of composure that suggested she’d assessed her situation and decided not to panic.

Eve.

She was alive.