Chapter 26 – Isabella
ISABELLA
Istood at the edge of the gathered crowd and watched dark clouds gather on the horizon. The air felt strange, electric, and the wind blew my thin cotton shirt against my skin. A distant rumble of thunder carried across the water, and the smell of approaching rain filled my nostrils.
Shit. Normally, I’d welcome a good storm—there was something cleansing about violent weather—and it somehow reflected the feelings I’d been holding inside ever since I’d seen all this information in the Paraskia’s database.
But not today. Not when we were about to get off this island.
Four Jeeps were lined up in the gravel driveway, engines humming. I gripped the strap of my bag tighter. I didn’t really arrive with anything, so everything inside was things gifted to me…and the encrypted drive containing the evidence we’d extracted from the Paraskia database.
Why hadn’t Ivan demanded it back? Did he really trust me enough to keep it?
I looked over to him. He didn’t look happy. But no one else did either. The tension radiating from everyone present was palpable—Vince’s tight jaw, Fee’s darting eyes, and Anton and Cristo’s watchful stances.
We were so close to leaving. So damn close. Wasn’t this what I wanted, to leave this whole nightmare behind?
I glanced at Ivan again. Well, I didn’t expect to fall for my kidnapper…and especially not for a Russian brute like Ivan Zotov. Maybe that was why his noncommitment was needling me so much.
I looked up when Roman and Mila arrived in one of the Jeeps, their expressions immediately telling me something had gone terribly wrong.
“Bad news,” Mila announced, slightly breathless. “We can’t leave yet.”
Vince stepped forward. “What do you mean, we can’t leave?”
“Equipment malfunction,” Roman explained. “The fuel truck broke down in the middle of the runway and is losing fuel. It’s blocking takeoff completely.”
“And with the storm coming in,” Mila added, gesturing to the darkening horizon. “We might only have a very tight window. Weather radar shows it hitting within the next two hours. If we don’t get off the ground before then, we’re stuck here until it passes.”
“How fucking convenient,” Vince muttered.
I couldn’t agree more. The timing was suspiciously perfect—almost as if Grey had arranged it.
Ivan’s face hardened. “How long to clear the runway?”
“Maintenance crew estimates at least an hour, maybe more,” Roman replied.
“We need to check this out ourselves,” Ivan said, his voice controlled but tight. He turned to Cristo and Dom. “Can you two stay here with the women? The rest of us will verify the situation and see if we can help speed things up.”
I didn’t appreciate being lumped in with “the women” who needed protection, but I kept my mouth shut. This wasn’t the time to pick a fight about gender politics.
Cristo nodded. “Sure. We’ll make sure everyone’s safe.”
Within minutes, Ivan, Vince, Matt, Alex, Roman, and Anton had piled into two Jeeps and disappeared down the road toward the airstrip. I watched until they vanished from sight, my mind racing with possibilities.
This was it—my chance. With Ivan gone, Grey off the island, and time on my hands, I had a perfect window of opportunity.
The Paraskia database had given us valuable information, but if I didn’t trust the source, why should I trust the information?
What if the Paraskia, or Grey, or his allies had manipulated what we found? What if there was more incriminating evidence hidden in Grey’s personal files? I needed to see both sides, to form my own complete picture.
“I’m going to hit the bathroom and grab some water before the storm hits,” I told Mira casually. “Want anything?”
My twin looked at me suspiciously. “I’ll come with you.”
“No need,” I said quickly. “I just need a minute alone. I’ll be right back.”
Mira’s eyes narrowed fractionally, but she nodded. “Don’t be long.”
I slipped away from the group, heading not toward the kitchen but toward Ivan’s room to grab the external drive I’d found while snooping around his room after waking up and finding the door locked.
Ivan would be furious if he knew what I was planning.
But I couldn’t shake the feeling that the evidence we’d found was too neat, too convenient, as was the fact that whoever cleared our path could’ve planted it there.
I needed to get into Grey’s personal systems, see what he was hiding. And I might never get another chance.
I grabbed the drive, and as I turned to leave, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Nina stood in the doorway, watching me with an unreadable expression.
“I know what you’re planning,” she said quietly.
My heart hammered against my ribs. I considered denying it, but something in her eyes told me she wouldn’t buy it anyway.
“Are you going to stop me?” I asked and raised my chin defiantly.
To my surprise, Nina stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. “No. I’m going to help you.”
I blinked. “What?”
“You’re trying to hack into Grey’s computer, right? Get access to his personal files?” Nina raised an eyebrow. “You’ll need help.”
Suspicion bloomed in my chest. “Why would you help me go against your brother’s orders?”
Nina leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
“Because if the organization Ivan and all of us have dedicated our lives to is truly corrupt at its core, we deserve to know the unfiltered truth.” Her eyes met mine, fierce and determined.
“Ivan has given everything to the Paraskia. If they’ve been lying to him—to us—all along… he deserves to know.”
The raw honesty in her voice caught me off guard. Her eyes glittered with the same fierce loyalty I felt toward my own brothers—the need to protect them, even from painful truths.
“Okay.” I nodded.
“Where do we start?” Nina asked.
“I don’t think his personal network is connected to the Paraskia infrastructure or the internet at all. Most likely, it’s completely isolated,” I said.
“He’s paranoid,” Nina confirmed, not sounding surprised. “So it would fit the profile to keep his most sensitive data on a closed system.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “Then we need physical access.”
Nina was quiet for a moment, considering. “I might know a way.”
I looked up, hope flickering. “How?”
“After Grey took you…” Nina hesitated. “I studied the compound layout obsessively. There’s a maintenance tunnel that connects all the main buildings, including Grey’s villa. The security is minimal because few people know about it.”
“You’re serious?” I stared at her. “You’d take me there?”
Nina’s expression hardened. “Yes. But we need to move fast. We need to be back within the hour.”
We gathered Nina’s laptop and tools from her room, which she stored in a crossbody bag she slung over her shoulder, before she checked the concealed weapon at her ankle.
“Just in case,” she said, catching my glance. “I have no idea how good Grey’s personal guards are or how far they’re willing to go.”
The entrance to the maintenance tunnel was hidden behind a panel in a utility closet. Nina led the way, moving with silent confidence through the dimly lit passage. Somewhere in the distance, the rumble of thunder was muffled but still audible even underground.
“The storm’s getting closer,” I whispered.
Nina nodded. “How much time do you think you’ll need once we’re in?”
“Depends on his security systems. Twenty minutes, maybe thirty.”
“The runway will take at least an hour to clear. We have maybe half an hour before we file out,” Nina said, her voice barely audible. “You need to be quick.”
We reached a junction, and Nina held up a hand, pointing to a small security camera mounted in the corner. With practiced ease, she climbed up on a pipe, reached up, and disabled it.
“Won’t they notice?” I asked.
“The tunnel system runs on a separate security network. By the time they notice, we’ll be long gone,” she assured me.
After several more turns, Nina stopped at a metal door. “This should lead to the tunnel leading to Grey’s villa. Stay close and follow my lead.”
The tunnel was pitch black but straight.
I looked to the left, and there was light at the end.
Nina turned right, and I stumbled behind her.
I was really not built for this hands-on spy shit.
I couldn’t even say how far we’d walked when Nina opened another door and slipped through.
The utility room was dusty and filled with cleaning supplies.
Nina cracked the door, peered out, then motioned for me to follow.
We moved through a service corridor. Twice, Nina pulled me into alcoves to avoid detection even though only a few staff members were present.
Even though there wasn’t a single guard.
Finally, we reached the door to Grey’s private office—which I recognized immediately.
We entered, and the room still screamed power and control, with its dark wood paneling and view of the ocean and rows of books.
At least this time, we were the only ones inside.
“Stand guard,” I told Nina, then went to the computer on the desk.
Grey’s personal setup was state-of-the-art, with security features that would make most government agencies jealous. But just my luck it was similar to the Paraskia’s. “This isn’t too bad, but it will take some time,” I muttered.
Nina locked the door, then positioned herself next to it. “Work fast. I don’t like how quiet it is.”
Sweat beaded on my forehead as I bypassed layer after layer of security. Grey might be a monster, but his cybersecurity was impressive. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I broke through the final firewall.
“I’m in,” I whispered and began downloading files systematically.
I worked methodically, copying everything that looked important—financial records, operation details, personnel files. Then a folder caught my eye, labeled simply “Mariella.”
My mother’s name.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard. The folder required a separate password. I tried her birthday. Nothing. Her maiden name. Nothing. The date she married my father. Still nothing.