Chapter 249 Chapter Two Hundred And Forty Nine

• Anna didn’t flinch. Her voice didn’t waver, not even with the faint scent of scorched stone from the sniper’s bullet or the lingering crimson dot that had hovered above her heart just seconds ago.
• "You should kill me," she said, slowly and with deliberate emphasis. "Because that’s what tyrants do, right? Silence what they can’t control. Erase what makes them look weak. But here’s the thing, Niko—if you kill me, you confirm every fear they already whisper behind your back. That you're scared. That the Carter legacy isn't strength anymore. It's desperation."
• She turned, gesturing toward the gathered Carter elites lining the courtyard—men and women in designer coats, dark suits, and shadowy eyes. Most were watching with unease now, their earlier confidence unraveling like a fraying rope.