Xavier sat in his surveillance room, the dim glow of the monitors casting long shadows across his face. The air was thick with the scent of whiskey and gunpowder, the distant sound of explosions rumbling through the walls. Outside, war raged—gunfire, screaming, bodies hitting the ground. But inside, Xavier was calm. He swirled the whiskey in his glass, watching the amber liquid catch the flickering light from the screens. He had expected this ever since he found out ghost was Victor. Victor’s wrath was inevitable. The man was relentless, a force of nature driven by vengeance. But Xavier wasn’t a fool. He had spent years at his side and learned a few things. And now, fate had delivered him an opportunity, one Victor wouldn’t see coming. His fingers tapped idly against the desk as he scann

