While Max sat brooding over his next steps, analyzing every angle, weighing every possibility, and mentally bracing for the coming storm, something entirely unexpected was unfolding just a few rooms away. Something that, if Max had known, would have shattered every assumption he had just made.
In a soundproof chamber tucked into the side wing of the abandoned facility where the meeting had taken place, the Three of Spades stood alone, his back to the door, a sleek communicator pressed to his ear. The dim light cast long shadows across his face, highlighting the sharp smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
The communicator crackled softly, then came a voice — calm, measured, and distinctly authoritative.
"So, did he buy it? Or is he still suspicious?"
