Blair Whales: The Price Of Vengeance

The thrill of success faded faster than Blair expected. The van sped through the darkened streets, and though her mask was now off, her mind was racing. She turned to Kai, who was still scrolling through the files they'd stolen.

"Well?" Blair asked.

Kai's usual smirk was gone, replaced by a furrowed brow. His fingers hovered over the keyboard. "This... doesn't make sense."

Blair felt a chill run down her spine. "What do you mean?"

Kai glanced at her, his expression grave. "The files—most of them are junk. Random spreadsheets, outdated financial reports. There's nothing here that connects to Vincent's operation."

Blair's stomach sank. "That's impossible. I followed the blueprint. That was the server room."

Kai nodded grimly. "It was. But whatever you were after—it's not here. Either someone wiped the data recently or…"

Blair's eyes narrowed. "Or we've been played."

Back at the penthouse, Blair entered the hidden suite where Lena was waiting. The moment she stepped inside, she was struck by the uncanny resemblance. Lena wore the custom-designed face mask that made her look exactly like Blair Whales—right down to the sharp cheekbones and piercing blue eyes.

Lena turned, her voice muffled slightly by the mask. "How'd it go?"

Blair slumped into a chair, rubbing her temples. "It didn't. The files were worthless."

Lena removed the mask, her face flushing red from the tight fit. "Worthless? After everything you risked?"

Blair nodded, frustration bubbling to the surface. "Either Vincent anticipated this move, or Dominic fed me false information. Either way, we're back to square one."

Lena sat down across from her, studying Blair carefully. "You're taking too many risks, Blair. If Vincent or his men figure out what you're doing…"

"They won't," Blair interrupted. "Not with you playing me in public. As far as anyone knows, I'm fully absorbed in the company, and 'The Fox' is just some rogue player."

Lena sighed but nodded. "Fine. But next time, give me a heads-up when you're planning something this big. Covering for you is getting harder."

Blair offered a small smile. "Thanks, Lena. I owe you."

Lena smirked. "You owe me more than just thanks. Remember that when I hand you my bonus request."

The tension in the room eased slightly, but Blair's mind remained preoccupied. She needed to figure out her next move.

As Blair worked through the night, analyzing what little information she had, her thoughts drifted to Jax. He hadn't been there during the mission, and his absence felt like a gaping hole in her plans.

She grabbed her phone, scrolling through her recent messages with him. The last one was a week ago—a short text saying he needed to take care of something personal.

Blair frowned, her fingers hovering over the screen. She dialed his number, but it went straight to voicemail.

"Kai," she called, turning to him.

Kai looked up from his laptop. "Yeah?"

"Have you heard from Jax?"

Kai shook his head. "Not since he disappeared. Why?"

Blair's chest tightened. "He said he needed time for something personal, but this isn't like him. He would've checked in by now."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "You think he's in trouble?"

Blair stared at her phone, a knot of worry forming in her gut. "I don't know. But something doesn't feel right."

Determined to get answers, Blair decided to review the mission footage. She pulled up the van's surveillance feed, rewinding to the moment she had entered the server room.

As she watched, something caught her eye—a tiny blinking light on one of the server racks. Blair froze the frame, zooming in.

It was a hidden camera.

Her blood ran cold. Vincent had been watching her the entire time.

"Damn it," Blair muttered, slamming her fist on the desk.

Kai leaned over, his expression grim. "That's not just any camera. That's a motion-sensitive decoy. It records everything but deletes key data the moment someone tries to extract it. He baited you, Blair."

Blair clenched her jaw. "He knew I was coming. He wanted me to walk away with useless files."

Kai nodded. "And he wanted you to waste time decoding them while he tightened his grip."

Blair's hands curled into fists. She had underestimated Vincent.

Blair's frustration mounted as she prepared for her next move. She couldn't afford another failure. But before she could act, a new challenge arose.

While reviewing the data with Kai, an alert blared on the penthouse's security system. Blair's heart leapt as she saw the live feed: Vincent's men were at the building, scanning the perimeter.

"They've tracked you," Kai said, his voice sharp.

Blair grabbed her mask and slipped it on, adrenaline coursing through her veins. "I'll lead them away. You and Lena stay here and cover for me."

"Blair, this is suicide," Lena said, stepping forward.

"Trust me," Blair said, her voice firm. "I know what I'm doing."

Blair darted out of the penthouse, moving swiftly through the underground parking lot. She spotted the men fanning out, their weapons drawn.

She activated a small device on her wrist—a smoke grenade that filled the lot with a thick, choking cloud. Using the cover, Blair slipped into the shadows, her movements precise and silent.

As she escaped through a maintenance tunnel, she heard the men shouting behind her.

"She's gone again!" one of them yelled.

Blair allowed herself a small smirk. Vincent's men might be good, but she was better.

Once Blair was safe, she contacted an old friend— Maya Cruz , a former intelligence operative turned private investigator. Maya was known for her ability to find people and answers where others couldn't.

"I need your help," Blair said, meeting Maya at a secluded café.

Maya leaned back in her chair, her sharp eyes studying Blair. "You're playing a dangerous game, Whales. But I'm in. What do you need?"

Blair explained the situation, her voice low and urgent. Maya listened intently, nodding occasionally.

"I'll look into Jax's disappearance and dig deeper into Vincent's operation," Maya said. "But you need to be careful. Vincent isn't just playing chess. He's playing war."

Blair nodded. "I know. That's why I need you."

As Maya left, Blair felt a glimmer of hope. She wasn't alone in this fight.

But as she returned to the penthouse, she knew one thing for sure: Vincent was always one step ahead. And if she didn't find a way to outsmart him soon, she would lose everything.