Alexandria and Victoria, sensing the urgency, followed him inside. The women quickly grabbed some new, expensive clothes to replace their ruined ones. When they emerged, dressed in luxurious attire, Ethan paused for a moment.

He looked at Alexandria, then at Victoria. "You both look beautiful," Ethan said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "But you can't come with me."

"But Ethan, she is my daughter!" Alexandria protested, her voice laced with desperation.

Ethan walked directly up to her, grabbed her face, and silenced her with a deep, authoritative kiss, pushing his tongue past her lips.

He pulled back, his eyes holding hers. "I know. That is precisely why you cannot come. They will be coming to collect you. Wait in the car."

Ethan immediately pulled up the secure line to Jason.

"Jason, we are ready. I have the suit. Send a Falcon security agent to the store now. They are to take the Dean and Victoria to a safe, pre-designated high-security shelter. Get them out of here immediately."

Ethan pulled back from Alexandria, his eyes holding hers with intense focus. "I know. That is precisely why you cannot come. They will be coming to collect you. Wait in the car."

Alexandria gripped his arm, her eyes pleading. "Ethan, please! I have to be there. If I go with you, I can distract them. I can tell them I'm giving up! I won't cause trouble, I promise!"

"No," Ethan said, his voice firm and final. "You won't distract them; you'll confirm their target. If Celestial sees the Dean of Harvard walking in, they will know exactly what this meeting is about, and they will know who I am. It jeopardizes everything."

"But I can help you! I know the building layouts—"

Victoria, now leaning against the counter, added weakly, "Alexandria, he is right. We are liabilities right now. I can barely stand. If we are caught, we only give them leverage against him."

Alexandria turned to Victoria, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "But what if something goes wrong, Victoria? What if we never see Emily again?"

"I won't let anything go wrong," Ethan promised, taking her hands. "You need to trust me. I need you safe, and I need you ready to receive Emily when I bring her out. This is the only way."

Alexandria sighed, tears welling up again, but the rational part of her mind finally won. "Okay. Okay, we will go. We can't—we don't want to ruin this for Emily."

"That's my queen," Ethan said, giving her a quick nod.

Just a few minutes later, a sleek black limousine—Congressman Thompson's—pulled up to the curb. Ethan, now impeccably dressed in a dark, expensive suit, walked toward it.

The rear window slid down, revealing a very agitated Thompson, who immediately composed himself upon seeing Ethan.

"Mr. Blake! Thank you for joining me so quickly!" Thompson said, his tone extremely deferential. "I understand this is a serious inconvenience, but your presence is absolutely essential tonight. Please, get in."

Ethan slid into the luxurious seat. "Congressman Thompson. We have no time for pleasantries. You need to get me past the initial security right now."

Thompson nervously smoothed his tie. "Of course, Mr. Blake. I fully understand. This 'auction,' as they call it, is highly exclusive. I will need to present you as someone indispensable to my political viability. I will introduce you as a key financial partner, a prominent industrialist supporting my governorship."

"And that won't raise suspicion?" Ethan asked, his voice flat.

"Sir, given the amount of support you've provided for my recent... realignments," Thompson said, hinting at the political maneuvering Ethan had orchestrated, "I believe it is more than believable. Your presence is my security. Just stick to the story, Mr. Blake."

Just as Thompson began to pull away, two heavy, black armored vehicles—Ethan's security detail, the Falcons—pulled up sharply behind Alexandria's Mercedes. Two large, highly professional agents in dark suits immediately exited.

They walked over to the women. "Dean Alexandria, Ms. Sterling. We are Falcon security, sent by the Master. You are to come with us now."

Alexandria and Victoria immediately got into the armored vehicles. Alexandria looked back anxiously at Ethan, who gave her a reassuring, final glance.

"My car?" Alexandria asked the Falcon agent.

"Don't worry, Ma'am," the agent replied. "One of the boys will drive it out later. You are safe now."

The armored vehicles accelerated away into the darkness, heading for the designated safehouse.

Inside the lead armored vehicle, Alexandria and Victoria were strapped into the reinforced seating. Alexandria looked at the driver, a large man with a calm, stoic face.

"What is your name?" Alexandria asked.

The driver, focused on the road, replied simply, "Falcon 15, Ma'am."

"But your real name," Victoria pressed weakly from the back seat. "Not your code name."

"You may call me Falcon 15, Ma'am," I repeated. "My name is not important."

"Where are you taking us?" Alexandria asked, her voice strained.

"We are heading to a secure safehouse," Falcon 15 stated. "The situation might get a little complicated."

Falcon 15 immediately regretted his indiscretion. The words were out before he could filter them. Damn it. The Master will not be pleased with that slip.

"Wait! Wait! Complicated?" Alexandria's voice immediately climbed, touching the edge of hysteria. "Ethan is just going to an auction, right? I don't know what she's doing in there, or why they took her, but it's just Emily! She'll be fine, won't she? Won't she?"

Alexandria began to hyperventilate. Victoria immediately reached out, pulling Alexandria close and hugging her, trying to console her friend despite her own recent suffering.

"No! No, no, no, Ma'am, I didn't mean that at all!" Falcon 15 scrambled to correct himself. "It's truly not that she's in danger! It's just that there are too many people, and the Master won't be able to make a 'clean sweep.' "Not that anything bad will happen to your daughter!"

Victoria tightened her embrace around Alexandria. "Calm down, Alexandria. Nothing will happen to your daughter," Victoria said, her voice surprisingly steady. "Ethan will bring her back. Trust him. He has never failed you, has he? He can handle this."

Alexandria was a whirlwind of raw emotions, but Victoria's words—reminders of Ethan's ruthless competence—managed to steady her slightly. She took a deep, shuddering breath, focusing all her hope on the thought of Ethan saving Emily.

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