I dress quickly in clean tactical clothing and head downstairs to the ops center. The mission—that's what matters. The fracture in whatever this thing is or was between us can wait. The doubt I saw flash across his face in the Hotel de Paris lobby can wait. The wall I've built to protect myself from feeling that particular knife twist again stays exactly where it is.
Fitz and Logan are already at the command station when I arrive, reviewing security feeds from the gala venue. Archer stands near the surveillance hub, coffee in hand, attention fixed on the monitors like they hold answers to questions he's afraid to ask.
He doesn't look at me when I enter. Doesn't acknowledge my presence beyond a slight tension in his shoulders that tells me he knows I'm here.
"Morning," Fitz says without looking up from his tablet. "Final briefing in a few hours. Get some food, review your assignments, make sure your gear is ready. Tomorrow night is go time."
The gala. Protecting a child who doesn't know she's a target. Stopping the Iron Choir from whatever they're really planning. Keeping Laurent's daughter alive while the world's most dangerous organization watches our every move.
And doing it all while the man I was starting to trust looks at me like I might be the enemy.
I pour coffee and settle at a workstation, pulling up floor plans for the gala venue. Hotel de Paris—where Monaco's elite will gather for a charity benefit. Multiple entry points, limited exits, too many blind spots. A perfect hunting ground for an abduction.
Logan moves to the station beside me, pretending to review security protocols while watching me with concern I don't want to address.
"You two okay?" he asks quietly enough that Fitz and Archer can't hear.
"We're fine," I say without looking at him. "Mission first."
"Marissa—"
"I said we're fine, Logan." My voice comes out sharper than intended, and he raises his hands in surrender.
"Alright. Just checking."
He moves away, and I force myself to focus on the venue layouts. Embedded team positions. Communication frequencies. Emergency extraction routes. All the tactical details that keep me grounded when emotions threaten to pull me under.
But I'm not fine. Not even close.
Because Archer's doubt cut deeper than any betrayal I've faced in the field. With targets and marks, I expect suspicion.I build covers designed to withstand scrutiny. I prepare for the moment they see through the facade and turn on me.
But with Archer, I let my guard down. Let him see parts of me I keep hidden from everyone else. Let myself believe that someone could know the real me and still choose to stay.
And then I watched him question it. Watched doubt flicker across his features while Moreau planted poison between us. Watched him wonder if everything we've shared was just another cover, another role I'm playing.
It reminded me of every time I've been burned. Every operation where someone I trusted turned out to be working the other side. Every moment I've had to run because the person I relied on sold me out.
I thought Archer was different. Thought what we had was real.
Now I don't know what to think.
The morning bleeds into afternoon. Fitz calls the full team briefing, and we gather around the central command station. Logan's embedded operatives appear on screen from various positions around Monte Carlo. The gala team. The extraction team. The surveillance team monitoring Iron Choir movements.
Everyone has their assignments. Everyone knows their role.
"Tomorrow night," Fitz says, and his voice carries the weight of everything riding on this operation. "Laurent brings his daughter to the gala at the assigned time. Our embedded team maintains close proximity without appearing to be anything more than standard security. Nocturne and Kingslayer draw Iron Choir attention as the visible threats."
I feel Archer's gaze on me, but I keep my eyes on Fitz.
"We have confirmation that the Conductor's people are in Monte Carlo," Fitz continues. "They know you're coming. They'll be watching for you specifically." He looks at me, then at Archer. "Which means you need to be convincing. Make them believeyou're the primary threat. Keep their focus on you while the embedded team secures Amelie."
"And if they move before we're in position?" I ask.
"Then you adapt," Fitz says simply. "This operation depends on flexibility and trust. You need to work together, anticipate each other's moves, have each other's backs." His gaze sharpens. "Whatever personal issues are happening between you, sort them out before tomorrow night. I need you both sharp and unified."
The words land heavy in the silence that follows. Logan shifts uncomfortably. One of the embedded team members clears their throat on the video feed.
"Understood," Archer says, voice steady but careful.
