LOGIN∆EZEKIEL∆"Yes," I admitted, my voice trembling beneath the weight of everything that had already been said. "I did love you."For a brief moment, silence settled between us.Then Zachary laughed.It wasn't loud, nor was it cruel, but somehow that quiet, disbelieving sound hurt far more than anger ever could have."You think that is love?"The question lingered in the air between us as if Zachary himself couldn't decide whether to laugh or be angry.His eyes searched my face before he spoke again."Do you really call this love?" A bitter smile appeared on his lips, though it never reached his eyes. "This was your version of loving me?"I lowered my head, unable to withstand the disappointment and hurt written so clearly across Zachary's face."I'm helpless, Zachary."Before I could look away completely, Zachary's fingers closed gently but firmly around my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes once more."Helpless?"For the first time since the conversation had begun, something in Zachary'
∆EZEKIEL∆"Are you upset that your mission failed, Agent Ezekiel?"The words settled over the room with terrifying calmness.For several seconds, I couldn't breathe….. I couldn't move…. I couldn't even bring myself to look away from him.The phone trembled slightly in my hand as the reality of what had just happened slowly caught up with me.He knew, not suspected or guessed, but he knew everything."Zachary..."My voice came out weaker than I intended.He didn't answer immediately.Instead, he leaned back against the couch and watched me quietly, his expression unreadable in the flickering light of the fireplace.The silence stretched between us until it became unbearable.Finally, I forced myself to speak."How long?"A faint smile appeared on his face, though there wasn't a trace of amusement in it. "How long have I known who you are? Is that what you want to ask me?” I nodded.His eyes held mine for several long seconds. "Long enough."The answer made my chest tighten painfully.
∆EZEKIEL∆"It became one the moment you tried escaping," Zachary replied with a quiet chuckle and a smug smile.I let out a helpless sigh. "You just make up rules whenever they benefit you.”"That's generally how winning works."Despite struggling myself in between guilt and anxiety, I laughed at his words.His expression softened almost instantly, and a familiar look of satisfaction appeared in his eyes."There it is," he said quietly.I frowned in confusion as I looked back at him. "Now what?” "That smile of yours…. I'm talking about your smile.” I immediately looked away, hoping he hadn't noticed it at all. "I wasn't smiling… You must've seen wrong.” A quiet chuckle escaped him as he shook his head in amusement. "You absolutely were, and the fact that you're denying it only makes it more obvious.""No, I wasn't," I insisted, though my voice lacked conviction even to my own ears."You always do this," he said, his smile growing slightly wider as he watched me.Suspicion immediate
∆EZEKIEL POV∆"Why do you look more nervous than usual?" Zachary asked, raising an eyebrow as he studied me with obvious amusement. "You look like someone who's planning something behind my back. Should I be worried?"The question caught me off guard enough that I looked up from my phone almost immediately."I'm not planning anything."Zachary leaned back comfortably against the couch, one arm stretched lazily along the backrest behind me while the amusement in his eyes only deepened."Really?" he smiled, unconvinced. "Because you've checked your phone at least six times in the last fifteen minutes, and every time it vibrates, you look like you're waiting for a verdict instead of a message…. Do you have an explanation for that?"I slipped the phone back into my pocket before answering, hoping my expression looked calmer than I felt."I was expecting a delivery."One of his eyebrows rose immediately. "At this hour?""It was delayed."A quiet laugh escaped him as he shook his head. "Th
∆EZEKIEL POV∆The fire crackled softly inside the stone fireplace, its warm glow washing over the quiet guest house. Outside, the wind whispered through the pine trees, but inside, only the gentle ticking of the old clock disturbed the silence.Neither of us had spoken for several minutes.I sat at one end of the large couch, absently turning my phone over in my hand before slipping it back into my pocket. Every passing minute brought Headquarters closer, and no matter how hard I tried to focus on the present, my thoughts refused to leave the operation unfolding beyond these walls."You've been staring into that fire for a suspiciously long time…. Is everything okay?” I looked up. "What?"Zachary was watching me with quiet amusement, one arm resting comfortably along the back of the couch. "You've hardly said a word since we got here.""I'm just tired.""Hm."He didn't sound convinced, before I could react, he reached for my wrist and gave it a gentle tug.I lost my balance with a
∆EZEKIEL POV∆"So, you seriously booked the entire place just to spend with me?" Zachary asked as he looked around the quiet guest house, a trace of amusement lingering in his voice while we stepped through the wooden entrance together.I nodded after locking the door behind us. "I wanted somewhere no one would disturb us."The words slipped out before I could stop them.For a brief second, neither of us spoke.A slow smile spread across Zachary's face as he turned to look at me."That sentence sounds far more dangerous than you probably intended."I felt warmth creep into my face and immediately looked away."I meant... I just wanted somewhere quiet.""I know.".His smile only deepened. "I simply enjoy watching you panic."I sighed in defeat. "You really do have too much free time.""And yet," he replied smoothly, "you still choose to spend yours with me."There was no answer I could give to that.Instead, I walked farther into the guest house, pretending to admire the interior even t
"Well, you seem to have forgotten basic responsibility," Maddison shot back immediately, walking straight toward the table without hesitation. "Even if you're a chief here, do you think this behaviour of yours can be justified?" The tension in the room shifted dramatically. This was no longer inte
∆EZEKIEL POV∆"Stay sharp. Something feels off."Ryan’s voice came through the comm device clipped near his collar as our vehicle finally slowed near Sector Four, the fake location I had deliberately planted.The abandoned industrial zone looked exactly how I expected it to.Silent, empty and dead.
∆EZEKIEL POV∆"Zeke, get ready. We are going to make a move tonight."Ryan’s voice came through the phone sharp and urgent, instantly pulling me out of the suffocating spiral my thoughts had been trapped in. I frowned and gripped the phone tighter, a cold feeling already spreading through my chest.
∆EZEKIEL POV∆"Maddy… open the damn door."The words left me in irritation long before my patience completely ran out, because for the past fifteen full minutes I had been standing outside his apartment while he acted strangely enough to immediately put me on edge.I heard movement inside, shufflin







