MasukThe man stepped out of the shadows slowly. The night suddenly became very quiet. Even the police officers seemed unsure of what to do. Nick stared at the stranger as though he had seen a ghost. The man looked to be in his late fifties. He had dark hair with a little gray at the sides and tired eyes that seemed to carry years of pain.For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Then the man smiled faintly. "Hello, son."Nick's face turned pale. "No."The word came out as a whisper. The man took another step forward. "I know this is difficult.""No."Nick shook his head this time. "My father died."The man stopped. "I know that's what you were told."Ariana looked from one man to the other. Everything was happening too fast. She had learned that her mother might still be alive. Nick had been shot. Now another dead parent was suddenly standing in front of them.It was too much. Nick's breathing became uneven. "You can't be him."The man's eyes softened. "You have your mother's eyes."The w
The words on the paper seemed to burn into Ariana's eyes. PHASE TWO: BEGIN IMMEDIATELY.She looked at the photograph of herself again. It had clearly been taken recently. She was leaving her office building, carrying a cup of coffee and looking completely unaware that someone had been watching her.A cold shiver ran through her. Someone had been following her. For a very long time. "What is Phase Two?" she asked quietly.Nobody answered. Claire and Victor exchanged worried looks. That silence was enough to frighten her. Nick tried to sit up, but a wave of pain crossed his face. "Easy," Ariana said, gently pushing him back down."I'm fine.""You've been shot.""I've had worse days."She gave him a look. "This is not the time for jokes."A small smile touched his lips, but it quickly disappeared. Victor took the paper from Claire and studied it carefully. "This shouldn't exist.""What does it mean?" Ariana asked again.Victor looked at her, his expression grim. "It means whoever is runn
"Nick!"Ariana's scream echoed through the night. She fell to her knees, holding him tightly as his body became heavier in her arms. Blood covered her hands and stained her clothes, but she did not care. All she cared about was him. "Nick, open your eyes."He did not move. Tears streamed down her face. "No, no, no. You can't do this to me."Around them, chaos erupted. People were shouting. Someone tackled the gunman to the ground. Others were running in every direction. Ariana heard none of it. The world had narrowed to one person. Nick. Claire rushed toward them and knelt beside him. "Move your hand," she said urgently.Ariana looked up at her with wide, frightened eyes. "Help him.""I'm trying."Claire pressed her hands against Nick's wound. "He has lost a lot of blood."The words made Ariana's chest tighten. Victor was suddenly beside them. "We need to get him to a hospital.""Then do something!" Ariana cried.Victor looked around. "The ambulance is still too far away."Ariana look
The sound of the gun clicking echoed through the night. Everyone froze. The man in the shadows held the gun steadily, his eyes fixed on Nick. Ariana's heart nearly stopped. "Nick."She moved instinctively toward him, but Nick quickly grabbed her hand. "Stay back.""No."Her voice trembled. "I said stay back."The firmness in his tone made her stop, but only for a second. The stranger stepped out of the shadows. He was tall and dressed entirely in black. His face was hidden beneath a cap, making it impossible to recognize him. "You've caused enough trouble, Nick," the man said coldly.Nick's expression darkened. "So this is how it ends?""It should have ended a long time ago."Ariana looked between them. "You know him?"Nick did not take his eyes off the gunman. "Unfortunately."The man smiled. "You always were difficult to kill."A chill ran through Ariana. Kill? What was he talking about? She looked at Nick, waiting for an explanation, but his attention remained on the stranger. "You
The entire road fell silent. Nobody moved as the woman stepped out of the black car. She was dressed in a dark coat, and the soft light from the headlights made her face difficult to see. Yet the effect she had on everyone was impossible to ignore. Victor looked stunned. David's face had lost all color. Even Sofia, who had seemed fearless moments ago, took a step backward. Ariana's heart pounded. Who was this woman? Why did everyone look terrified? The woman closed the car door and slowly walked forward. She stopped a few feet away from the group. Her eyes swept over everyone before finally settling on Ariana. A strange expression crossed her face. Sadness. Longing. Regret. Then she smiled faintly. "Hello, Ariana."The sound of her voice made something twist inside Ariana's chest. There was something familiar about it. Something she could not explain. Victor recovered first. "You shouldn't be here."The woman looked at him calmly. "You of all people should know that I never do what I
The sirens grew louder with every passing second. The sound snapped everyone out of their shock. Victor folded the document in his hand and looked toward the road. Several people in dark uniforms were already getting back into their vehicles. "We need to leave," one of them said."No," Victor replied firmly. "Not without the file."Ariana barely heard them. Her mind was still stuck on Nathan's words. It wasn't Sofia. If Sofia had not leaked her information, then who had? She slowly looked around. David stood a few feet away, his face pale. Vanessa looked nervous, and Claire remained beside Nathan, trying to stop the bleeding. Any one of them could be lying. Any one of them could still be hiding something. "Ariana."Nathan's weak voice pulled her back. She immediately knelt beside him. "I'm here."His breathing was uneven, and there was pain in his eyes, but he still looked at her as though she was the only person there. "You have to listen carefully.""You need a hospital."He shook h







