r: The Weig

ear from Leo

lance. Not a whispe

calculating, avoiding her as if physical distan

ldn't b

im the truth.

he had been assigned to dismantle

make trust

wn quieter around her. The guards more watchful. Even Chika, who once s

om confidante t

he fe

step. Eve

g, a letter was sli

al. N

tten in Leo's clean

o the a

for a long time before f

ge didn't

at she was

and biometric scanner. It smelled of oil, iron, and old wars. Rows of locked

in the cen

ds wrapped in leather glove

peak when s

't s

ed toward

he middle. Matte

t up,"

ser, heart stead

e weapon with

. "You're not af

wn again. "Wh

d the table slow

d. "That if you said nothing, no one could hur

gaze. "Then st

pa

"You were never ju

cracked in

el like I'm about

se enough for her to smell gu

t decided what to

idn't

till between them like a question

re," Leo said. "You're not the

th. "And yet, I

em," he replied.

this was a game? Some dance between spy and kingpin? I saw the signs, Zara. The late-night

aid n

l an act?"

aid firmly.

n, eyes colder now. "

lowed har

time it was different. He wasn't circling

hat I regret m

ook he

different with you." His voice droppe

orward. "You d

fference between us. You were born in the shad

him. The armory.

and silence. You were just th

ed steady. "Then write the ending, Leo

at her, ja

e slammed his fist int

ear. A breath away

ice cr

want to k

breath

ding from the impact, che

But I don't know how

e, the air thick wit

arefully. She reached out and

th from her sleeve around

aid. "But not a

dn't

ht I could do the job and walk away. But I see you now, Leo.

down at t

e pull

, Zara. But words won

no

kno

er room, Zara st

her name on it. The look in Leo'

ng was u

a secure li

Nest. Immed

Target aware. Stand

hesi

n t

endation: delay

y movin

ngerous, but

aused

ed one f

him, don't exp

sent

listening to the stor

stood just outside

o the

her s

t no longer felt

, the estate was

tobacco and gunpowder, clinging to the air like warning. She d

out of her room,

n the courtyard,"

ne had changed. Cold. Controlled. Not the ea

table laid with maps, drones, and digital feeds.

earby-new faces. Not in

es, maybe

," Zara said, stopping a

t lie to me," Leo replie

e inside o

'd sabotage

now what you're ca

ry depots near Benin. It's been flagged. Movement, heat signatures. Someo

image. "That's a

d to her. "How wo

he realized

t before. I've seen it used by priv

g. He turned ba

w he didn't

des. The city lights in the distance were blurry through the s

hone

action window open. R

leave confirmed.

ed at th

ve h

rs to disappear. To save her life. To

e man who now lived behin

, she found Leo

w petals were scattered across the ti

they were soldier

rn. "Now they

quiet from distance but

traction ord

l didn'

ed to be go

, he fa

ill yo

tared

ebrow. The lines at the corners of

she

roke-almost too fast to

loyalty," he said.

he stepped forward

or her hand,

finger

for the first time in day

he point of s

"We were n

m knew if they were allies or trai

chosen ea

as coming for