Josephine stood in tears clutching a battered wooden rocking horse covered in marker scribbles as Grandfather Robert shoved it toward her, laughing bitterly with Clara that the ruined toy was a perfect match for the little girl.

The snow fell heavily over the city, blanketing the streets in a thick, freezing layer of white. Inside a rented surveillance van parked three blocks from the Apex Holdings tower, Silas rubbed his bruised, swollen face. He stared at the monitor screens, watching the live feed of Bennett’s underground parking garage. "His convoy leaves at exactly 8:00 AM," Silas muttered, his voice nasal and thick from his shattered nose. "Two armored SUVs. He always rides in the lead vehicle with the girl." Graves sat in the driver’s seat, checking the magazine of a heavy assault rifle. His scarred face remained entirely impassive. "You're asking me to hit a billionaire's security detail in broad daylight. The police response time will be under three minutes." "I don't care about the police!" Silas snapped, his fair, rosy skin flushing with unhinged desperation. "I want Bennett on his knees. I want him to feel the exact same humiliation he forced on me when he threw me into that tree." "Emotion gets people killed, Sterling," Graves warned, racking the slide of the rifle with a loud, metallic clack. "I don't care about your family drama. I care about my money. We hit the lead vehicle, disable the engine block with an EMP charge, and extract the target in under sixty seconds." Silas grinned, a painful, twisted expression that stretched his bandages. "Take the girl. Bennett will sign away the entire world to get her back."