The mission was over.
Technically, we succeeded.
We had the drives. The data. The evidence to expose Liz’s father as the architect of one of the mostdangerous black-market intelligence rings we’d ever seen.
And still… nothing about this felt like a win.
“She didn’t say much when I checked in on her,” Adonis finally said, glancing up. “Just asked for space. That’s not like Liz.”
“She’s not the same,” Liam murmured. “How could she be?”
Adonis looked at me. “You were with her the whole time. What do you think?”
I met his eyes.
“She’s holding it together,” I said quietly. “But barely. You don’t face down the man who made you into a weapon and come out clean on the other side.”
Adonis gave a slow nod. “And you?”
I hesitated.
“I told her I loved her,” I said.
Liam choked on his water. “What?”
Adonis sat straighter. “Youwhat?”
“Yeah,” I muttered. “That night… after the confrontation. In the rain. She ran and I went after her. I thought—hell, Ifeltlike I was losing her. So I said it. And I meant it.”
They were both staring at me now. No jokes. No smirks.
Just stunned silence.
Liam finally whistled under his breath. “Damn.”
Adonis leaned back slowly in his chair. “So what does she think?”
“She didn’t say it back,” I admitted. “But… she didn’t push me away either. It was like—like for a second, she could breathe.”
I shook my head, jaw tight. “And I feel like shit.”
Adonis narrowed his eyes. “Because of the bet.”
“Yeah,” I said, the word thick in my throat. “Because I started this whole thing pretending it was just a mission. Pretending I didn’t care. I let you guys rope me into something that was supposed to be a joke, and now…”
Liam’s voice dropped. “Now it’s not a joke.”
“No,” I said. “It’s not. She’s not. And the worst part is… I don’t even remember when the bet stopped and the real stuff started. I just know that it did. And now I’m in too deep to pretend it never happened.”
Adonis rubbed his temple. “So what are you going to do?”
“I want to end it,” I said, louder than I meant to. “The bet. All of it. It was wrong, and I was wrong for playing along. She’s been lied to enough. She’s beenusedenough. I won’t be one more person who takes from her.”
Liam looked at me carefully. “But if you don’t tell her, and she finds out some other way…”
“Iknow,” I snapped. “She has a right to the truth.”
The guilt was eating me alive. Every time I looked at her, I thought about that moment—when I first saw her step into the compound, sharp and cold and untouchable. And I thought,I’ll break her open.For a dare.
