Bound To The Broken Alpha (Amy and Daniel) novel Chapter 468

Chapter 468 Pulling The Strings

MARA

I waited until the lights in the hallway dimmed before I moved.

Night had settled over the building in its usual quiet way, the kind that made every small : feel louder than it should. Amy was asleep, finally. The doctor had given her something m help her rest, and tayed long enough to make sure her breathing evened out before step back. I adjusted the blanket around her shoulders, careful not to wake her.

“I’ll be right back,” I whispered, even though she couldn’t hear me.

I slipped out and closed the door softly.

I didn’t head toward the staff quarters. Instead, I took the service stairs, the ones rarely use unless there was an emergency. My shoes made almost no sound against the concrete steps counted each floor in my head, not because I needed to, but because it kept me focused. Fr was the only thing keeping me steady these days.

At the third basement level, I stopped.

The corridor smelled faintly of cleaning agents and cold air. Cameras lined the ceiling, but 1 knew their blind spots. I’d memorized them over time, the way you memorize a routine wh your life depends on it. I stepped into the shadow beside the storage lockers and waited.

My burner phone vibrated once in my pocket.

I didn’t take it out right away.

I glanced down the hall first, then behind me. Nothing. No footsteps. No voices. When I was sure I was alone, I pulled the phone out and looked at the screen. No name. Just a single symb I recognized.

I typed back quickly,

I’m here.

The reply came almost instantly.

Dock entrance. Two minutes.

I exhaled slowly and tucked the phone back into my pocket. Then I reached into my bag and felt for the second device–the one wrapped in plastic, powered off, unregistered.

I kept it hidden deep inside, beneath medical supplies and spare clothing. No one searched my

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Chapter 468 Pulling The Strings

bag anymore. They trusted me. Or they thought they did.

I moved again, this time toward the underground loading dock.

י

The dock was dim, lit only by a few overhead bulbs. A black SUV was parked near the far w engine off. I slowed my steps, keeping my posture relaxed, like I belonged there. Like this just another task assigned to me.

A figure stepped out from behind the vehicle.

I stopped a few feet away.

“You’re late,” the person said quietly.

“I had to wait until she slept,” I replied. “They’re watching her more closely.”

“That was expected.”

I crossed my arms, keeping my voice low. “The schedule changed again. They’re talking abo moving her.”

The figure stiffened slightly. “When?”

“They haven’t said. Soon. Days, maybe less.”

There was a pause. Then, “Is she stable?”

“For now,” I said. “But it won’t last if they keep pushing.”

Silence stretched between us. I didn’t like it. Silence meant thinking, and thinking meant decisions I might not like.

“I need more time,” I added. “You said I’d have it.”

“You have as much as we can give,” the person replied. “But this is bigger now.”

I felt a flicker of anger rise, but I pushed it down. “You don’t see her,” I said. “You don’t see what this is doing to her.”

“That’s not your concern.”

“It is when I’m the one keeping her alive.”

The figure shifted closer, voice lowering further. “Careful, Mara. You’re already balancing too much.”

I clenched my jaw. “Then stop changing the rules.”

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Chapter 468 Pulling The Strings

Another pause. Then a nod. “We’ll adjust. But we need confirmation.”

“Of what?”

“That she’s still unaware.”

I hesitated for half a second too long.

“She doesn’t know crything,” I said carefully. “She suspects. Anyone would.”

“That’s not the same thing.”

“No,” I agreed. “It’s not.”

The figure reached into their coat and handed me a small envelope. “Instructions. Memoriz them. Destroy it.”

I took it without looking inside. “And the messages?”

“Continue as before. Short. Inconsistent. Don’t establish a pattern.”

“I know,” I said. “I’ve been doing this longer than you think.”

The figure’s eyes narrowed slightly. “That’s exactly why you’re still useful.”

Useful.

The word sat wrong in my chest, but I said nothing.

“Tomorrow night,” the figure added. “Same channel.”

I nodded once. “If it’s safe.”

“If it isn’t,” the figure said, already stepping back toward the SUV, “you won’t be contacted.”

The vehicle door opened and closed softly. The engine started, then faded as the SUV pulled

away.

I stood there for a few seconds after it was gone, listening to the echo of my own breathing.

Then I moved.

Back in the corridor, I pulled out the burner phone again. There was one new message.

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