This wasn’t a string of random killings. This was vengeance. A slow, methodical hunt. Someone was targeting the same men who had been part of that covert mission, a mission he knew all too well. Because he was one of them. He turned, leaning against the cold rail, his pulse thudded harder.

  Those men, their blood now decorating the headlines, had all been part of the secret operation that silenced Officer James Sundell. And now they were being hunted, one after another, like prey. He ran his hand through his hair, his breath shallow. The night wind carried the faint echo of traffic below, but all he could hear was the ghost of his old friend’s voice:

  "Trust me, Stephen. Whatever they promise you, it’s not worth it." He had ignored that warning. He had taken the promotion. He had smiled when Macron shook his hand, pretending not to hear the gunshots that echoed through the rain that night. He thought he had buried the guilt, but now the past was digging itself up with blood. He inhaled deeply, smoke filling his lungs until it burned. His thoughts swirled with dread and realization.

  The words came back to him again, soft but sharp, like a spell awakening something buried. “The orphan is back.” He whispered them aloud this time, his voice hoarse. “The orphan is back.” Then, as if the words unlocked a door in his memory, he muttered the name he had buried for years. “Lia Sundell.” The name felt like a curse leaving his lips. He nodded slowly, eyes hardening as he pieced it all together. “You’re the invisible orphan,” he whispered. “You did not die, you somehow survived, didn't you.”

  A bitter smile formed on his face. The wind tugged at his coat as he straightened himself. He had cracked the puzzle, the assassin’s identity, the pattern, the motive. Everything fits perfectly now. But this wasn’t a truth he could ever share. Because if he did, the world would know what he had done, what they had all done. This wasn’t justice. It was retribution. And deep down, part of him felt she was right.

  He flicked the cigarette away, watching the ember fall into the darkness below. The glow vanished, just like his old life had. “This is my secret,” he murmured, a grim smile creeping onto his face. “My penance.” He turned away from the balcony, his silhouette swallowed by the dim corridor light. “I betrayed my best friend for a promotion,” he said quietly, the confession meant only for the night.

  He paused by the door, looking back once more at the lights of the city. “Now I believe his daughter is back,” he whispered, the faintest shiver in his tone. His eyes darkened, his smile fading into something cold. “Back, and seeking vengeance.”

  Inside, Rita’s phone buzzed. A text popped up. “I have done the job since last night, what are your next orders?” She smiled and texted back. “Lay low for now. I will tell you what to do next when the time is right.”

  “Alright,” a message popped up in response. Rita raised her head to make sure nobody was seeing her.

  Although Nancy had been cleared from the investigation, Nathan couldn’t erase her from his mind. Her face, her laughter, the way she spoke so calmly under pressure, it haunted him. He told himself it was mere curiosity, the instinct of a detective that couldn’t let go of unanswered questions. But deep inside, Nathan knew it wasn’t curiosity. It was attraction.

  Days passed, yet he kept texting her. He tried to be casual at first. Then flirtatious. Nancy, unaware that the man she had fallen for was a police officer, responded with the kind of warmth that only a woman in love could show. She had fallen hard, fast, and helplessly, even though she never intended to.

  That evening, her phone chimed. She stared at the screen, her heart fluttering. It was Nathan. The man who had once questioned her like a suspect now texted her like a lover. “Hey, you,” her fingers typed before she lost her nerve. “Can we have another dinner by Friday?” She pressed send and waited. Seconds felt like minutes. Then her phone buzzed. “Are you asking me out?” Nathan’s reply came with a teasing smiley face.

  Nancy chuckled softly, her cheeks burning. “Yes, and the bills are on me.” There was a pause. Then his reply lit her screen again: “Then I’ll be happy to be your tour.” She hugged her pillow, unable to stop the grin spreading across her face.

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  Friday came faster than expected. The city lights shimmered like diamonds scattered over dark velvet skies. Nancy spent two hours dressing up, changing from outfit to outfit before finally settling on a crimson gown that hugged her curves and shimmered in the light. Her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her perfume; sweet and dangerous, lingered in the air like a spell.

  Nathan arrived fifteen minutes early, as always. He stood by his car in a black suit that made him look both dangerous and desirable. But the moment Nancy stepped out of her apartment, he forgot how to breathe. Her red gown glowed beneath the streetlight, her every step graceful, deliberate. She was radiant. Lethal beauty wrapped in silk.

  Nathan whistled softly. “You just stole my heart all over again,” he teased. But this time, Nancy didn’t hide behind a shy smile. She looked him dead in the eyes and said, “That’s my intention.” Nathan chuckled, extending his hand. She took it without hesitation, her touch soft yet firm. He opened the car door for her like a true gentleman, and as she slipped into the seat, her perfume filled his senses.

  They drove through the heart of the city, the hum of the engine blending with the faint jazz playing from the stereo. The night felt perfect. But perfection, in Nathan’s world, always came with shadows. Unbeknownst to them, another car sat parked two blocks away. Inside, Rita watched. Her hands clenched around the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. “You said she was just a suspect,” she whispered, her voice trembling with fury.

  Through her windshield, she saw Nathan open the door for Nancy, saw his smile, the same smile he once gave her. It cut through her like a blade. “But two weeks after she was cleared, you’re still flirting with her?” she muttered bitterly. “Nathan, how could you?”

  Tears welled in her eyes, but she wiped them quickly, her pain hardening into resolve. “All my life, I’ve loved you. I waited for you. I stood by you when no one else did.” Her lips quivered. “And you think you can just throw me away? No, Nathan. You lie. I won’t sit here and watch that little doctor take you from me.” Her eyes darkened as she turned the ignition. The car roared to life, and she followed them quietly into the night.

  At the restaurant, Nathan and Nancy sat across from each other in a candlelit booth. The gentle music, the soft chatter of other diners, and the clinking of glasses created an atmosphere too perfect for coincidence. Nancy opened the menu, pretending to decide what to eat, but Nathan’s gaze never left her. His eyes roamed over her face, the delicate curve of her lips, the way her lashes fluttered when she smiled. Nancy caught him staring. “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, half amused, half embarrassed.

  Nathan leaned forward, his voice soft and deliberate. “Because I can’t help it. Your beauty dazzles me, and I can’t help but find my soul eclipsed in it.” Nancy’s cheeks flushed, her lips parting slightly. “You say that like a poet.”

  “Maybe I am,” Nathan said, smiling. “Or maybe you just inspire poetry in me.” She looked down at her glass, swirling the wine nervously. “Do you really want me to be your woman?” she asked suddenly, her tone quiet but serious. Nathan froze for a moment. The question caught him off guard. His instincts screamed danger, that he was getting too close, that he should pull back before the line between duty and desire vanished completely. But his heart, his heart had already crossed it.

  He nodded slowly. “I’d be more than lucky to have you as mine.” Nancy looked up, her gaze softening. “I feel the same,” she said. Then, almost reluctantly, she added, “But it can’t happen now.” Nathan frowned. “Why not?”

  “Because,” she said, her eyes lowering, “there’s a business I must settle first. After that, I can give myself to you completely.” Nathan tilted his head, his detective mind sparking. A business? Her tone didn’t sound like she meant a clinic appointment or a project. There was weight in her words, something hidden beneath their surface.

  He wanted to ask, What kind of business? But instead, he forced a small smile. “Take all the time you need in the world,” he said quietly. “I’ll be here waiting.” Nancy smiled faintly. “Thank you.” The waiter arrived, taking their orders. They ate, laughed, and shared stories, hers about her patients, his about his “boring office work.” The tension melted into warmth, and by the time dessert came, the world around them seemed to fade away.

  But across the street, in a parked car with tinted windows, Rita’s eyes burned through her binoculars. She watched Nathan lean close, watched Nancy laugh, and something inside her snapped. “You really chose her,” she whispered, voice shaking. “After everything, you chose her.” Her tears fell this time, unstoppable, splashing onto her lap. “You once told me I was the only one who understood you, Nathan. You said I was your peace. Now you’re looking at her like she’s the sun.”

  She gripped her steering wheel, her body trembling with fury. “If I can’t have you, then she won’t either.” Inside, Nancy excused herself to the restroom. Nathan sat back, exhaling, his mind at war. He shouldn’t be here. He was trained to read people, to detect lies, fear, guilt. And something about Nancy didn’t add up. Her calmness during interrogation, her avoidance of certain questions, her mysterious “business.”

  But then he remembered the softness in her eyes when she smiled at him, and his resolve crumbled. He wasn’t just drawn to her beauty. He was drawn to the enigma she represented.

  As he sat there, staring into his half-empty glass, his phone buzzed. A message. He picked it up. From Rita.

  “I thought the suspect is clear, i are you still engaging with her.” His brow furrowed. Another message followed. “Does she even know who you truly are?”

  He sighed, and looked around. He didn’t see Riata anywhere around. Rita again. Always dramatic. Always watching. He typed back:

  “Rita, stop. I have the right to be around whoever i want .” Seconds later, his phone vibrated again. “You know this is unprofessional, Director will not he impressed by it.”

  Nathan locked the phone and shoved it in his pocket. The timing couldn’t be worse. When Nancy returned, she looked radiant again, her smile effortless. “What’s wrong?” she asked, noticing his distracted gaze. “Nothing,” he said, forcing a smile. “Just work. It follows me everywhere.” Nancy eyebrows furrowed. “Work? What do you do for a living, Mister Coleman?”