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