"Could they really trust him?" The thought hammered in Jessica's mind as the silence in the hallway thickened. Michael stood there, hands open in a gesture that was neither threatening nor entirely safe. His eyes burned with something raw desperation, maybe truth, maybe deception. Jessica couldn't decide. "Jess", Romeo's voice cut low and sharp beside her. "Shut the door. Now". But Michael's foot shifted, just slightly, stopping the door from moving even an inch. His voice came low, hoarse, but filled with urgency. "If you shut me out, you'll lose everything. I have what you've been searching for. What they have been hiding from you". Jessica froze. Her chest rose and fell too quickly, the war between reason and hope tearing through her. Romeo was already stepping forward, his body tense like a storm about to break. "Jessica", he warned, his voice dark. "Don't let him manipulate you. One mista
Jessica's pulse hammered as the silence dragged out, the hallway light flickering faintly above them. Every shadow seemed to press closer, watching, waiting. The man didn't move, didn't flinch, as though he had been expecting this very moment. Romeo's voice cut through the tension, sharp and steady. "Say your name". The stranger's eyes, dark with years of weariness, met Romeo's. Then they shifted to Jessica so piercing, so achingly familiar that she staggered back a step. And then he said it. "Michael". Jessica froze. Her breath caught. That name she hadn't spoken it in years. Couldn't. Her brother. The world seemed to tilt sideways, her body numb as the pieces refused to fit together. Michael had been gone. Taken. Left for dead in a world that showed no mercy. She had mourned him, carried the grief like a blade in her chest. But now he was standing here, flesh and bone, looki
The night was queit, too queit for a city that never truly slept. Jessica stood by the window, her hand resting against the cool glass, staring at the streets below where shadows moved and neon lights flickered like dying stars. Somewhere out there, enemies plotted their next move. Somewhere out there, danger waited. But inside, something had shifted. Romeo moved behind her, his presence steady, his warmth wrapping around her like armor. "You're thinking too loud", he murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She turned slightly, meeting his gaze in the reflection. "I'm thinking about what comes next. About how many battles we've already fought. How many more we'll have to". Romeo's jaw clenched, but there was no hesitation in his voice. "Then we fight them. Together. Until the end". Her heart tightened at the certainty in his tone. Once, those words would have terrified her - until the end had al
Hope was fragile. Jessica knew that better than anyone. It could slip through your fingers in an instant, leaving you clutching at nothing but air. Yet as she looked across at Romeo, the silence between them wasn't heavy anymore - it was alive, humming with the weight of all that had been broken, and all that might still be repaired.Romeo shifted, his dark eyes fixed on her with an intensity that almost unnerved her. "Jessica", he began slowly, "you know things won't get easier. People won't just forget. The choices we've made... they're not going away".Jessica exhaled, her chest tightening. He was right. Their lives weren't fairy tales they were messy, tangled, stitched together with mistakes and regrets. And yet, wasn't that what made them real?"I don't want easy", she whispered. "I just want honest. No more lies. No more pretending".Romeo's lips curved into the faintest of smiles. "Honesty", he repeated. "That's dangerous territory".
The silence stretched between them, soft and full, like a thread neither dared to cut. Jessica leaned her head against Romeo's shoulder, feeling the slow rise and fall of his chest. For so long, the future had been a shadow-something to run from, something that pressed down with fear. But now, for the first time, it felt like something they could shape together. Romeo tightened his arm around her, as if sensed the same fragile shift. "Jess", he murmured, his voice low, roughened by all the things left unsaid, "do you ever think about what comes next?" She hesitated. "Every day". Her fingers curled into the fabric of his shirt. "But before, it was just.... survival. Now, i don't know. Maybe it could be more". Romeo titled his head, studying her. The flicker of determination in his eyes was undeniable. "More means risk. More means we stop hiding. Are you ready for that?" Jessica swallowed hard. Ready. The word felt dangerous
The silence that followed defeaning. Jessica could hear her own heartbeat, each thud echoing like a countdown. She tightened her grip on Romeo's hand, as if letting go might mean losing everything they had fought for.Romeo didn't flinch. His eyes stayed locked on hers, steady, unwavering. "They think we're weak", he said finally, his voice low and rough. "They think we'll break".Jessica's lips trembled, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. "Then let's show them we're not".The words tasted like fire on her tongue. For too long, she had been running from shadows from fears, from scars she thought would never heal. But now standing here, with Romeo's warmth grounding her she realized something had shifted. The fear was still there, but it no longer ruled her.Romeo brushed his thumb across the back of her hand, gentle, almost tender, before his tone hardened again. "This isn't about revenge anymore. It's about survival. It's about us".