Lillian fell silent, and Mary didn’t buy it for a second.
“You’re lying,” she said softly, her gaze piercing through my facade.
I couldn’t deny it.
I wouldn’t. But I didn’t correct her either. Because if I let myself voice what I truly felt—
If I admitted that I wanted to cling to the way Noah made me feel—
Then I’d have to confront the truth that I wasn’t cut out for this life anymore. That I had changed, and change was a dangerous thing. So, I took a sip of my coffee and forced a smile, the kind I had been trained to wear.
Feel it all.
Show nothing.
“well I think this calls for a night out! We are going clubbing tonight!”
I looed up from my cup and groaned,
“Do I have to?”
I asked trying to put the plea in my voice as much as I can. Lillian nodded and Mary squealed.
“Well fuck it why not I always say no anway maybe this will ease my mind a bit.”
Wide-eyed and shocked they both laughed and squealed so loud I thought we would be chased out. Well, what could go wrong right?
Noah
Adonis’s office had that unnaturally pristine quality that raised my eyebrows in suspicion. There was no clutter, no stray files—a sleek desk, two monitors, and a bottle of fine scotch that had clearly been gathering dust for months. Liam was already there, lounging on the edge of the desk like a cat that had lost its interest in play, casually tossing a throwing knife between his fingers. Adonis stood there, arms crossed, staring at the screen as if it had just insulted his mother.
“Can you tell me why I’m here?” I asked, gently closing the door behind me.
Adonis didn’t even glance my way.
“Something landed on my desk this morning,” he replied, his eyes still glued to the file. “Black-flagged, off-books, eyes-only until we get the green light. At first, I thought it was a joke.”
Liam scoffed, “Yeah, real knee-slapper.”
Adonis turned the monitor toward me, revealing an encrypted mission profile that had been decrypted, the words glowing ominously on the screen. That’s when I saw the name: Delacroix, Nathaniel. A chill ran through me.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” I muttered, disbelief coating my words.
“Wish I was,” Adonis replied, his tone heavy. “But apparently, Daddy Dearest is alive and well, dishing out operations like he never vanished off the grid five years ago, after… well, you know, dying.”
“He’s alive,” I whispered, the realization settling in like a weight.
Liam nodded slowly.
“And here’s the kicker—he requested you.”
I stepped closer, scanning the document. My name was right there, tagged as primary tactical support… and just beneath it: Operative:Elizabeth Delacroix.
“He wants me to back her up on her mission?” I asked, incredulous.
“Not just back her up,” Adonis clarified. “He wants you at her six. Every step of the way. No distance, no deviation.”
“Like hell,” I growled. “I’m not letting her walk into this.”
