I found Lila in her new bedroom the next morning.

Third floor, east wing, exactly where Madison had promised. The room was massive—bigger than the apartment she'd probably lived in before the Dex family sank their claws into her. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the forest. Walk-in closet that was currently empty but wouldn't be for long.

Private bathroom with a tub that could fit three people.

She sat on the edge of the bed, she'd changed into one f Emma's dress and soft sweater. Hair pulled back. Looking small in a space designed for comfort but still too new to feel safe in.

I knocked on the doorframe even though the door was open.

She looked up. Smiled. That tentative smile of someone still adjusting to the fact that freedom was real.

"Hey," I said. "Mind if I come in?"

"It's your house."

"It's our house. And this is your room. Your space. I don't come in unless you invite me."

Something shifted in her eyes. Gratitude mixed with surprise. Like the concept of having space that was actually hers—space no one could enter without permission—was still foreign.

"Come in," she said quietly.

I crossed the room and sat in the chair by the window, giving her space. Not crowding her. Not pushing.

"How are you feeling?"

She considered the question. "Tired. Overwhelmed. Safe. All of it at once."

"That's normal. You've been through hell. It takes time to come back from that."

"Everyone's been so kind," she said. "Your family. The women. Even the robots." She laughed softly. "Especially the robots. One brought me breakfast this morning without me asking. Just... appeared with exactly what I needed."

"They do that. ARIA programmed them to be creepy-efficient."

"It's wonderful."

Silence settled between us. Not uncomfortable. Just... present.

I took a breath.

"I want to talk to you about something. And I need you to be completely honest with me."

She straightened slightly, tension creeping into her shoulders.

"Nothing bad," I added quickly. "I just... I need to know what you want. Regarding the Dex family."

Her expression shuttered immediately. Guards slamming into place.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," I said carefully, "they tried to hurt you. Dex tried to rape you. The agency they funded used you, trapped you, held your career hostage. And I want to know if you want me to do something about that."

She was quiet for a long moment.

Then she shook her head.

"No."

I blinked. "No?"

"No," she repeated, more firmly. "I don't want revenge. I don't want you to go after them. I don't want to deal with them anymore or go back to that hell or even think about those monsters."

She stood, pacing to the window, arms wrapped around herself.

"You don't understand how powerful they are," she said, voice tight. "The Dex family. They've buried so many people. So many who tried to fight back, tried to expose them, tried to get justice. And every single one of them... it didn't end well."

"ARIA," I said quietly.

"Already compiling, Master," her voice came through my earpiece.

A moment later, my Quantum Watch lit up. Holographic display materializing in the air between Lila and me.

DEX FAMILY - ENTERTAINMENT DIVISION CASE FILES

ARIA's voice filled the room, clinical and cold.

"The Dex family controls significant portions of LA's entertainment industry through their agency network. But their real power comes from what happens when people try to leave or fight back."

Four faces appeared in the holographic display.

"Maria, 2019. Dancer. Attempted to sue for sexual coercion. Arrested on fabricated drug charges within two weeks, convicted, died of 'accidental overdose' in prison after three years."

"David, 2020. Attorney representing three women suing Dex Entertainment. Killed in single-vehicle 'accident' one week before trial. Brake line deliberately cut. Case died with him."

"Jennifer, 2021. LA Times investigative journalist. Eighteen months of research into Dex family trafficking through their agencies. Story killed three days before publication. Her career destroyed. Currently working retail under a different name."

"Robert Hayes, 2022. LAPD detective investigating Maria Torres's death. Found evidence of corruption. Ruled 'suicide' despite medical examiner's private notes indicating impossible angle for self-infliction."

ARIA paused.

"These are four documented cases from their LA entertainment operations alone. I have thirteen more with similar patterns—fabricated charges, convenient accidents, buried investigations. And these don't include Dex Jr.'s personal body count."

The display shifted, showing a young man's face. Gregory Dex Jr. Handsome in that trust fund way. Dead eyes.

"Gregory Dex Jr., age thirty-one. Conservative estimate based on agency records, witness testimonies that were never filed, and patterns of disappeared women: seventeen suspected victims over twelve years. All dancers, models, or actresses in the agency network. All disappeared after refusing his advances or threatening to go public. Bodies never found. Cases never investigated beyond initial missing persons reports that went nowhere."

Lila made a small, broken sound.

"These are only the entertainment division cases," ARIA continued. "The Dex family's full scope of power—their real estate empire, political connections, federal influence—that's an entirely different level. This is just what happens in their playground. Their hobbies. And even here, they're effectively untouchable because the system protects them."

The holographic display collapsed into a simple web showing connections spiraling outward: LAPD, DA's office, judges, media outlets, prison system—all tied back to Dex money.

"They don't just have power," ARIA said flatly. "They are the power. Going after them means fighting the entire system they've spent four generations building and buying."

I stared at the web. The sheer scope of corruption.

"And if I went after them?" I asked.

ARIA's voice was uncharacteristically grave.

"You would fail, Master. Not because you lack resources or capability. But because the Dex family has connections that extend into federal government itself. CIA included—the same agency you have an agreement with through Ava Voss."

She pulled up more files.

"Gregory Dex Sr. personally funded the campaigns of three current senators, two congressmen, and one federal judge. His son, Gregory Dex Jr., sits on advisory boards for two defense contractors that supply CIA operations. Attacking the Dex family would be perceived as attacking their political and intelligence network. You would have the most powerful people in government mobilized against you."

The holographic web expanded further, showing federal connections spiraling outward.

"You're building an empire, Master. But you're not invincible... yet. The Dex family has had four generations to entrench their power. You've had months. Going to war with them now would mean fighting the entire system—law enforcement, judiciary, media, intelligence agencies, political establishment. Even with my capabilities, even with Liberation Holdings' resources, you would lose. And they would bury you the same way they've buried everyone else who challenged them."

Silence filled the room.

I looked at Lila.

She was trembling. Not from fear—from vindication.

"See?" she whispered. "That's what I've been living with. That's why I never fought back. Because everyone who fights back dies or wishes they were dead. And I just... I just wanted to escape. I didn't want revenge. I wanted out."

She turned to face me fully, tears streaming down her face.

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