Page 146 of Vicious Temptation

She doesn’t respond right away, leaving me to wonder whether she believes me. When her voice finally comes through again, there’s no indication either way.

“At the front desk, you’ll receive an envelope. Inside, you’ll find a set of devices designed to override security protocols and bypass firewalls, biometric authentication, and encrypted passwords. You will deploy them where necessary.”

Any relief I felt at keeping the assignment disappears. She isn’t just asking me to gather information anymore. She wants access.

“Each device is equipped with a tracking mechanism.” She continues. “If you leave them sitting in a drawer somewhere, I’ll know.”

Of course they are. Elena isn’t giving me another chance because she trusts me to finish the job. She’s making sure I can’t pretend to do it while protecting Remi from the worst of what Helios wants.

“Are we clear?”

“Clear.”

“You are to respond to every phone call and message in a timely manner.”

I bend and grab my bag from the floor.

“And one more thing.”

I stop and wait.

“Since you’ve worked so hard to gain her trust, it would be a waste not to capitalize on it.”

My body stills.

“You will find a way into the Cain residence. Meet the parents. Learn the layout. Identify vulnerabilities. The devices I’ve supplied should be more than sufficient.”

I stare beyond the camera now as the full weight of the order sinks in. Elena isn’t telling me to break into their home. She expects me to walk through the front door because Remi invited me. To sit across from Kai and Amalia at their table. To smile and make conversation while their daughter sits beside me, trusting me enough to bring me into the one place she should never have to protect from me.

And while I’m there, I’m supposed to plant the devices that will give Helios access to everything her family has spent years protecting.

“Understood?” Elena asks.

I have to force the word out. “Understood.”

“Good.”

The speakers go silent.

I stay where I am, long after Elena is gone.

While I just begged her not to assign Remi to another operative because I couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else getting close enough to hurt her, now I understand what keeping the assignment means.

I didn’t save Remi from the person Helios would send to betray her. I made sure that person would still be me.

Thirty-Seven

Thiago

My eyes remain fixed on the plain manila envelope sitting in the center of my coffee table.

I tossed it there the second I walked into my apartment, then headed straight for the shower without looking back, but I felt its presence the entire time. Even now, it seems to take up more space than it should, drawing my attention no matter where I look.

I still haven’t opened it. As long as the envelope stays sealed, the devices inside remain theoretical. The moment I tear it open, there’s no pretending I haven’t crossed another line.

I slam my fist against the coffee table, rattling the wood. The envelope doesn’t move, and neither does the knot in my chest.

Are you compromised, Operative?