Edward’s interest was instantly piqued once he heard the mention of millions. That kind of money would accelerate everything and he would be able to invest in much needed reinforcement for himself. His eyes sharpened.

Sasha continued, "I know you’re not normal either. Your strength yesterday... even today, that wasn’t human. You’re hiding something."

Edward didn’t bother denying it. "I’m not hiding anything. It’s not like I ever denied."

Sasha stepped closer. "Whatever. You don’t have to worry about the fighting. Right now, I’m the strongest combatant in this facility, the others are away. Jerald, Violet, and most of the guards won’t be able to stop me if I move quickly, but I can’t do this alone. I need your help."

The offer was tempting. Very tempting.

Edward leaned forward. "Why does Jerald want Maya so badly? What makes her ability so special?"

Sasha took a deep breath and explained.

"Maya’s power is temporary super-intelligence. When she activates it, her mind becomes faster and sharper than any supercomputer you can think of. Comprehension, calculation, creativity, strategic planning you name it—everything is boosted to an inhuman level. The only limit is mental exhaustion after a short while. Jerald believes that with the enhancement drug, he can remove that limitation, or at least prolong it by a large margin. If he succeeds, Maya could become the ultimate weapon for building and running his empire. She would be able to design flawless strategies, invent new technologies, predict enemy moves... basically solve any problem instantly."

Edward listened intently. The more Sasha spoke, the more he understood Jerald’s obsession. A person with unlimited super-intelligence by his side would be nearly unstoppable.

’If I had someone like that with me...’ Edward thought, his ambition flaring. ’What wouldn’t I be able to accomplish? I could even become the first Trillionaire and get everything I want... I could rule the world if I wanted.’

The calculation was simple. Saving Maya wasn’t just about doing the right thing anymore—it was an investment in his own future. Combined with the vault full of millions, the risk suddenly felt worth it. Besides, Maya was the first woman to submit to him, so in a way she was his first woman.

"I’m in," Edward said firmly. "We save Maya, we hit the vault, and we get the hell out of here."

Sasha studied him for a long moment, searching for any sign of deception. Eventually, she nodded.

"Good. We don’t have much time. Jerald has already started the enhancement process on her. We need to move soon."

"Wait, already started? Then we can’t take her now." Edward said.

"Of course not, I said soon, not now. I’ll get back to you when the time is right." She said.

"Got it."

For the first time since being captured, Edward felt a real path forward. With Sasha’s combat power, his own strength, and the promise of massive rewards, escaping this facility no longer seemed impossible.

...

Sasha returned to Jerald’s office with her usual disciplined posture, masking the storm raging inside her, though it had calmed. Now it was more of distrust and hate towards the man before her. When she stepped inside, Jerald was standing in front of the large tube where Maya floated unconscious, submerged in liquid. Violet stood beside him, adjusting readings on a nearby console.

"You’re back," Jerald said without looking away from the tube. "Good. The next phase is delicate. We cannot afford any interference."

Sasha nodded silently, keeping her expression neutral. She had spent years perfecting this mask. Jerald, completely absorbed in the procedure, didn’t notice the subtle shift in her demeanor. For now, her secret remained safe it appeared.

There wasn’t much to do for her, she just stayed put, observing as Jerald and Violet worked tirelessly.

Hours passed quickly as Sasha stood like a loyal shadow, offering input only when asked. Inside, her thoughts kept drifting back to Edward—the way he had dominated her, the pleasure he had forced upon her, and the strange new freedom she felt in his presence. For most of the time, that was all she could think of, like a child who tasted sweet for the first time, she couldn’t get her mind off it.

Seeing that things would remain as they were for the time being, she returned to her quarters, a new plan in mind. There was no way to save Maya for the time being, as it seemed the process couldn’t be disturbed.

She took Edward, and used her shadow portal to transport them both out of the facility. They emerged directly inside the luxurious Airbnb he had rented earlier. The familiar surroundings felt almost surreal to Edward after the sterile underground complex.

"I hope I find you here when I need you," Sasha told him firmly. Edward didn’t need further words, the look in her eyes said it all. Anymore betrayal and it would really break her.

"Of course, you can count on me." He said.

He would have just exchanged contact, but surprisingly, Sasha didn’t have a normal cell phone or even a number to be reached.

Returning to the base, she wasted no time, taking care of loose ends. She silenced the guard who had seen Edward when they arrived, the same one who brought him to his cell. Disposing of his body wasn’t difficult, she had several locations she could reach with her shadow, a crucial addition ever since her power upgrade.

Following that, she infiltrated the security room and erased the relevant camera footage from that time window. It was a bit risky, since if Jerald so much as suspected anything and decided to investigate, it wouldn’t take much before he understood that something was up. But, with him fully focused on Maya’s procedure, she dared to act boldly.

...

Later that night, around the usual time, Sasha visited Jerald’s office once more as she usually does. Their interaction was brief as always, especially ever since he started recruiting more people with powers. He barely looked at her these days.

After about eleven minutes, a call came in. Once it was done, a brief one too, Jerald turned to Maya.

"I need you to retrieve a package tonight," Jerald said, sliding an encrypted tablet across the desk. "New guys." He said. "The pickup is scheduled for midnight. As always, I trust you to handle things smoothly."

"Of course," Sasha replied, taking the tablet.