The standoff continued, with neither side willing to back down. Nora, Ethan, and Alex stood their ground, refusing to give in to the assistant's demands.

But as the minutes ticked by, Nora began to feel a sense of unease. They couldn't stay there forever, and she knew that the assistant would eventually call for backup.

Just as she was starting to worry, Ethan made a desperate move. He lunged at the assistant, grabbing him by the throat.

"Tell my father to back off," Ethan growled, his eyes blazing with anger.

The assistant struggled to break free, but Ethan's grip was too strong. Nora and Alex watched in shock as the scene unfolded before them.

Suddenly, the assistant's eyes went wide, and he nodded frantically. "Okay, okay!" he choked out. "I'll tell him to back off!"

Ethan released his grip, and the assistant stumbled backward, gasping for air.

But as they watched, a sly smile spread across the assistant's face. "You'll never win," he sneered. "Ethan's father has too much power. He'll crush you all."

Nora felt a chill run down her spine as she realized the truth. They were in over their heads, and they needed to come up with a new plan if they were going to take down Ethan's father.

But as they turned to leave, Nora heard the sound of sirens in the distance. The assistant's smile grew wider, and he nodded in satisfaction.

"It's too late," he said. "The police are on their way. You'll never escape."

Nora's heart sank as she realized they were trapped. The police were coming, and they would be arrested for sure.

But then, Alex spoke up, a look of determination on his face. "Don't worry," he said. "I have a plan. We can still get out of here."

Nora looked at him in surprise, but Alex just smiled. "Trust me," he said. "We'll be okay."

Alex quickly pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "I've got someone who can help us," he said. "Just trust me."

Nora and Ethan exchanged a skeptical look, but Alex just nodded confidently.

"Who is it?" Nora asked.

Alex smiled. "Just someone I've been working with. They'll be able to get us out of here."

Just then, a black SUV pulled up, and a woman with short, dark hair and sunglasses got out.

"Alex?" she said, looking around cautiously.

Alex nodded. "Yeah, that's me."

The woman quickly ushered them into the SUV, and they sped away just as the police arrived.

Nora looked at Alex in amazement. "Who is she?" she asked.

Alex smiled. "Her name is Maya. She's a former CIA agent. She's been helping me investigate Ethan's father."

Ethan's eyes widened in surprise. "A CIA agent?" he repeated.

Maya smiled. "I'm not with the CIA anymore. But I still have some... connections."

Nora felt a surge of gratitude towards Alex. He had been working behind the scenes to help them, and now they had a chance to take down Ethan's father once and for all.

But as they drove away from the scene, Nora couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. She looked around, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

Still, the feeling persisted. And Nora couldn't help but wonder if they were walking into a trap.