Jace had never seen River freeze like that. He’d watched him disarm a stranger with terrifying speed. He’d seen him move through rooms like a shadow, calculating, alert, composed. But this was different.
River’s shoulders were tense. His jaw was locked. And his eyes... there was something in them Jace hadn’t seen before.
Fear.
“What did the voice say?” Jace asked, quieter this time.
River didn’t speak for a long moment. Then he slid his phone across the table. “They mentioned my unit. No one should know about them. No one.”
Jace picked up the phone but found no trace of the number. “Blocked.”
River nodded once. “They said I’m protecting the wrong man. That if I don’t walk away… I’ll end up like the others.”
Jace blinked. “The others?”
River leaned against the wall, dragging a hand through his hair. “There were five of us. My squad. Overseas. We were sent into a mission that wasn’t cleared. We were told it was surveillance, but it wasn’t. Two of them died that night, one lost a leg. The fifth disappeared last year.”
“And you?”
“I survived, barely. Got a dishonorable discharge to keep me quiet.”
Jace took a slow breath, mind already racing. “You think this threat is from the same people?”
“I think this isn’t just about you anymore,” River said darkly. “It’s about both of us.”
Silence settled between them.
Jace walked to the window, looking down at the skyline. Everything felt too exposed now. He’d always known someone was watching. He just hadn’t expected them to dig through River’s life to do it.
“We have to find out who made that call,” Jace said.
“We can’t trace it,” River replied. “They’re good.”
“Everyone leaves a trail.”
River crossed his arms. “And what if they’re baiting us?”
Jace turned, brows drawn. “Then we take the bait on our terms.”
River watched him. “You really want to do this?”
Jace turned. “They’ve already made it personal. I’m not walking away.”
River’s voice dropped lower. “Then you need to be ready. Because this isn’t about money anymore. It’s not even about the company. It’s war.”
They didn’t speak much after that.
Sasha called again that evening. The interview was confirmed for tomorrow. Friendly media outlet and safe environment.
“Remember,” she said over speakerphone. “Keep it simple. Light touches, little smiles. The story matters more than the details. Make people believe you’re in love.”
“Any tips for pretending we’re a happy couple?” River asked dryly.
“You mean besides not looking like you’d rather stab each other?” Sasha teased.
Jace sighed. “We’re not exactly the smiling type.”
“Then brood romantically,” she shot back. “Trust me, the audience eats that up.”
Jace stared at the phone after the call ended.
Love. That word felt so foreign it made his chest ache.
*****************
River didn’t go to bed right away. He sat on the balcony instead, staring out over the city. The wind ruffled his hair. The scar down his neck caught the light.
Jace joined him without a word, holding out a glass of whiskey.
River accepted it but didn’t drink. “You don’t strike me as the sharing type.”
“I’m not.”
River looked at him. “Then why are you out here?”
Jace hesitated. “Because I don’t like silence. And I don’t like being alone tonight.”
River’s eyes flicked to him. “You get lonely?”
Jace gave a soft, bitter smile. “More than you’d think.”
River finally took a sip. “Lonely doesn’t scare me. Never has.”
“What scares you?”
River didn’t answer for a long time.
Then he said quietly, “Trusting the wrong person.”
Jace felt that one, deep in his chest. Because he understood it better than he wanted to.
“I trusted my father,” Jace said suddenly. “Even when everyone told me not to. Even when I saw the signs. He died, and I still don’t know if he was a good man or just better at hiding.”
River was quiet.
“I never wanted to be like him,” Jace said, voice low. “Cold, calculating and empty. But sometimes I look in the mirror and wonder if I already am.”
“You’re not him,” River said.
Jace’s head turned. “How do you know?”
“Because you still care. Even when you don’t want to.”
That stopped him. The words hit something raw, something Jace hadn’t admitted in years. He cared too much, always had. But caring meant losing control, and control was the only thing keeping him sane.
“You ever think about walking away from all of this?” River asked suddenly.
Jace blinked. “All the time.”
“Why don’t you?”
“Because if I disappear,” Jace said, “he wins and everything I built dies with me.”
River nodded once. “Then we don’t disappear. We fight.”
Jace looked over at him, eyes slightly softer. “You always talk like a soldier.”
“I don’t know how to stop.”
Jace almost smiled. “Don’t.”
“Go to sleep,” River said after a moment. “You’ll need your energy tomorrow when we sell the world a perfect love story.”
Jace nodded once, turning on his heels and walking away.
***********************
The next morning, the studio was locked down and silent.
Sasha met them at the entrance. She looked sharp, fast-talking, already in full control mode.
“You both look great. Jace, the softer suit is working. River, just keep doing that broody protector thing, it’s gold.”
“Broody protector?” River muttered under his breath. “I’m not a cliché.”
“Yes, you are,” Sasha said with a smirk. “A hot one.”
Inside the studio, the lights were bright, cameras were set up. A gentle-faced interviewer waited, already briefed on what to ask and what to avoid.
River sat on the couch first. Jace joined him a moment later. The set looked like someone’s cozy living room, fake plants, throw pillows, soft lighting.
“You ready?” River asked quietly.
Jace’s jaw clenched. “Not even a little.”
“Good,” River said. “Means we won’t sound rehearsed.”
“Just follow the script,” Sasha reminded through the earpiece. “But if it gets too real... lean in. The public eats that up.”
The camera light turned red.
“We’re here today with billionaire tech CEO Jace Maddox and his partner, River Hale,” the interviewer began warmly. “This is the first time you’re going public. Why now?”
Jace shifted slightly. His hands were clasped tightly in his lap, his knuckles turning white. River sat calm beside him, but his eyes kept scanning the room, alert, watching everything.
Jace inhaled slowly and leaned into the mic.
“Because,” he began, his voice steady, “some things matter more than privacy. Some people are worth….”
His phone buzzed hard in his jacket pocket and he froze. Sasha’s voice cut through the earpiece. “Jace….don’t check it now. You’re live.”
But it was too late. He glanced at the screen and his blood ran cold.
An email alert. Subject line: “KnightFall_Recording.mp4.”
And the message: “You should’ve stayed quiet, Jace. This is your final warning.”
He swallowed hard, his heart racing. Next to him, River noticed the shift in his expression.
“What is it?” River murmured.
Jace didn’t answer.
Instead, he slowly turned to the camera, stared dead into the lens, and said calmly,
“We’re in danger.” Jace said quietly.
The interviewer blinked. “I’m sorry... what?”
River sat up straighter, but Jace remained still.
Because just then, the file began downloading, and the first frame that appeared was a blurred image of his father’s face, captured only hours before he died.
