The Thorne Heiress Unveiling Shadow novel Chapter 105

The days leading up to the summit were a whirlwind of quiet, intense preparation. Seraphina Volkov's public invitation list was a closed circle, but her private, internal security list was now their primary target. They were no longer the Thorne and Blackwood heirs, powerful but ultimately outsiders to this specific event.

They were now the "Joint Technical Advisory Team" for Dr. Alistair Finch. It was a perfect cover, a legitimate, high-level identity that gave them a reason to be anywhere and everywhere within the clinic. It was a public declaration that the combined technological might of the Thorne and Blackwood empires was now focused on this single, niche corner of the scientific world. Seraphina had tried to lock the front door, so Evelyn had simply acquired a master key to the entire building.

Their work shifted from Thorne Crest to a new, shared command center, a secure floor in the Blackwood Tower that had been converted into their personal strategy room. The space was a fusion of their two worlds: Evelyn's minimalist, hyper-efficient tech setup on one side, and Kaelen's plush, old-world power on the other.

The nights were long, fueled by black coffee and a shared, unspoken energy.

They sat across from each other at a massive conference table, the city lights of New York glittering below them like a field of fallen stars. The table was covered in a chaotic mess of files, satellite images of the clinic, and Evelyn's own hand-drawn network diagrams.

"The guest list is a problem," Kaelen said, his voice a low murmur in the quiet room. He pushed a file across the table. "These aren't just scientists and investors. Half of them are tied to intelligence agencies or shadowy private military contractors. The place will be crawling with spies."

Evelyn picked up the file, her eyes scanning the names. "Good," she said, a small, dangerous smile on her face. "It's always easier to hide in a room full of people who are also hiding."

Her fingers flew across her keyboard, pulling up a new screen. "While you were looking at the people, I was looking at the building."

A detailed 3D schematic of the Elysian Clinic appeared on the screen. It was a level of detail that went far beyond the public blueprints.

"How did you get this?" Kaelen asked, a note of awe in his voice.

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