LOGINMichael’s POVThe office felt smaller than usual, not physically, but mentally, like the walls had closed in just enough to remind me that there was no space left for mistakes.Papers were spread across my desk, files, reports, surveillance notes, fragments of information that barely scratched the surface of what we were dealing with.Even seeing Marlo's name written in black ink across official documents made something tighten in my chest.I leaned forward slightly, my elbows resting on the desk as my eyes scanned through another report.I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down my face.This wasn’t just a visit, it was an operation and operations like this didn’t end quietly.“Dad…”Henry’s voice cut through my thoughts, soft at first.“Focus on your work" I said but I didn’t look up.“I’ve been focusing" he replied. I flipped a page.“You can focus more.”He let out a sigh, louder this time.“I’ve been doing this for hours nonstop" he said.“Good" I said plainly. “That’s not good, t
Theo’s POVI hadn’t planned for this, not like this, not this fast. One second, I was in watching, calculating, blending in like just another face in the crowd, the next Marlo Ramirez was sitting across from me, looking at me like I was something he had already figured out.My heartbeat was loud in my ears, but I forced my breathing to stay steady.Panic would get me killed here.“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, keeping my tone neutral, my expression blank.Marlo didn’t react immediately. He just watched me, like he was peeling through layers I didn’t even realize I had then he smiled.“You should,” he said quietly.That smile didn’t reach his eyes.I leaned back slightly in my chair, forcing myself to relax into the role I was playing.“You’ve got the wrong person, I just came here to eat” I replied, shrugging faintly. “Did you?”The question wasn’t loud, but it carried weight.“Yes.”“And the car?” he asked.I frowned slightly.“What car?”“The one that has been be
Theo’s POVI should have turned back.That thought crossed my mind more than once as I followed the sleek black cars cutting through traffic like they owned the road.But I didn’t, I couldn’t because now that I had seen him there was no going back to pretending this was just another problem I could solve logically.My fingers tightened around the steering wheel as I kept a careful distance, my eyes locked on the car ahead. I made sure not to get too close, just enough to keep them in sight, just enough to track their movements without drawing attention, at least that was the plan but my mind wasn’t calm enough to fully execute it.Everything inside me was on edge, hungry for answers.“What the hell are you doing here?” I muttered under my breath, my gaze narrowing slightly.The cars took a turn and I followed.My phone rang and the sound cut through the tension, loud and abrupt.I glanced at the screen. I hesitated for half a second before answering, keeping one eye on the road.“Yea
Theo’s POVThe line went dead, just like that with no warning, no hesitation or explanation.Michael had hung up on me.I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, my jaw locking so hard it actually hurt. The faint hum of the engine beneath me did nothing to calm the storm building in my chest, instead, it only made everything feel louder, more irritating.“What the hell is your problem, Michael” I muttered under my breath.The empty passenger seat beside me felt heavier than it should have. It still carried the ghost of him, his silence, his distance, the way he looked at me like he wanted to say something but never did.It was getting old.I exhaled sharply, running one hand through my hair before gripping the wheel again. My thoughts refused to settle. They circled the same questions over and over again, each one more frustrating than the last.Why is he hiding things from me? Why does he keep shutting me out? And most importantly, what the hell is he involved in?Nothing about Mich
Michael’s POVAshley was already moving, checking the corners of the room like he could somehow be hiding in plain sight.“Henry, this isn’t funny!” she called out, her tone sharper now, laced with tension she wasn’t even trying to hide.Nick crouched near the desk, scanning the floor, his eyes moving quickly, methodically.“He really didn’t take his things,” he muttered.I followed his line of sight and my chest tightened.“He wouldn’t leave without them” I said.“No, he wouldn’t” Nick agreedAshley turned toward us.“We need to find him immediately.”I just stood still, numerous scenarios playing in my head.Ashley stepped closer, her voice lower now.“Michael we have to operate with the mindset that he might have been taken”“I said no.”My hands dragged through my hair, my thoughts spiraling too fast, jumping from one possibility to another, each worse than the last.“They couldn’t have gotten in here, not without being seen” I said. “Unless they already had access,” Nick counter
Michael’s POV The name still echoed in my head, even after Director Hale stopped speaking, even after the room fell into that heavy, suffocating silence, even after Nick leaned back in his chair and Ashley crossed her arms tightly like she was holding something in. Director Hale exhaled slowly, his gaze shifting between the three of us like he was trying to read something we weren’t saying out loud. “We don’t know his exact objective yet,“But a man like Marlo Ramirez doesn’t just show up in a quiet town like this for nothing" he continued, his tone measured. I swallowed slowly, forcing my face to remain neutral. Ashley leaned forward slightly, her voice calm but sharp. “Do we know how long he’s been here?” “Not long,” Hale replied. “Our intel suggests he arrived sometime within the last twenty-four hours.” Twenty-four hours. That lined up too perfectly and my chest tightened. Nick spoke next, his tone steady but edged with something darker. “And his people?” “They're alread
Michael’s POV Henry clung to me, his small arms wrapped tight around my shoulders, his tiny frame trembling just enough that I could feel it through my shirt. My heart hammered in my chest—not from the fall, not even from Fernando's push—but from the way Henry had looked at him.Like he was afrai
Michael’s POV The last slivers of sunset light crawled across the coffee shop floor, painting the tables and chairs in colours of fading gold. I could feel the end of the shift, but tonight, that comfort wasn’t there.Because Henry was still sitting in the corner booth.The little boy’s sneakers
Michael’s POVAs the sun began to dip behind the city skyline, painting the apartment in soft amber light, I knew I was running out of time.Ashley would be home soon.And as much as I hated to admit it, I was nervous.Not because I was doing anything wrong—but because I was doing something big. H
Fernando’s POV I sat on the leather chaise by the window, the lights of the city shimmering below like a thousand restless fireflies. A half-empty crystal glass of whisky dangled from my fingertips, the wine’s dark scent curling up to soothe me. The television flickered across the room, the news







