The call ended.
I stood there, the cold weight of the words settling over me.
"Reynard Vale. I believe it's time for us to speak in person."
The voice had been calm, measured. Not a threat, not a warning—just a statement. But that was what made it worse. The people who spoke like that were the ones you had to be the most careful of.
I stared at my phone for a long moment before slipping it back into my pocket.
Not now.
Not tonight.
The girls came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, still chatting and laughing like nothing had changed. Sienna had picked up a new scented candle, Alexis was inspecting a questionable energy drink, and Camille was proudly carrying a shopping bag that I was almost certain contained something ridiculously overpriced.
I didn't tell them about the call.
Not yet.
Tonight was supposed to be ours, free from worries, free from responsibilities. I wasn't about to ruin that over some cryptic phone call.
So I did what I always did—I smiled, teased them about their purchases, and pretended everything was fine.
We went home, and for the first time in a long time… we all just existed together.
I woke up in the dark.
At first, I thought I was alone. But then I shifted, and something warm pressed against my side.
Sienna, curled up near my left shoulder.
Camille, draped lazily over my right arm.
Alexis, sprawled out at the foot of the bed, half-buried under the blankets.
I blinked, trying to piece together how this had happened.
Then, I glanced at the clock.
4:00 AM.
Ah.
That made sense.
I must have fallen asleep from being so tired when we came back and whether out of comfort, exhaustion, or simply because none of them wanted to be alone after everything—we were all here.
I closed my eyes again, exhaling softly.
It was grounding, their presence. The steady rhythm of Sienna's breathing. The faint scent of Camille's perfume. Alexis mumbling something incoherent in her sleep.
It reminded me why I was here. Why I was still fighting—not just for myself, but for them.
And yet…
The phone call lingered in my mind.
I was too awake now.
Carefully, I slipped out of bed, making sure not to disturb them. I threw on some clothes, grabbed my coat, and stepped outside.
The night air was cool against my skin, the city hushed in the early morning silence. The distant hum of traffic, the flickering streetlights, the occasional rustling of leaves in the wind—it was quiet, but not empty.
I walked.
Not toward anywhere in particular—just moving, hoping the cold air would settle the unease in my chest.
It didn't.
After about twenty minutes, I found myself in a small park, the kind that existed between buildings, barely noticed in the daylight. It was empty. Not a single person in sight.
I sat on a bench, rubbing my temple.
"Who the hell was that?"
I had dealt with powerful people before. Evelyn, Mark, Damian—but something about this call felt different.
Like it wasn't just someone trying to recruit me.
Like they had already decided something about me, and I just hadn't figured out what yet.
I let out a slow breath, staring up at the sky.
Then—
My Observation and Instinct skills activated.
A prickle ran down my spine.
I wasn't alone.
I didn't hear anything. Didn't see anything. But I felt it. The way the grass near the edge of the park was flattened slightly. The way the air felt heavier in one direction.
Deduction activated soon after. Someone was watching me. But what threw me off was the pattern of the grass—whoever it was, they were sitting… right next to me?"
I slowly turned my head—
And locked eyes with a man exactly where I had calculated.
He was sitting on the same bench as me, cigarette smoke curling around him like mist. A Hawaiian shirt, unbuttoned slightly, revealing a faded scar across his collarbone. Messy blond hair, an easy, lazy grin.
He looked completely out of place.
Which, in my experience, meant he was the most dangerous person in the park.
I tensed. My muscles coiled, ready to move.
Then—
He grinned.
"Damn, you noticed me fast." He let out a low whistle. "Most people don't."
I didn't relax. "Who are you?"
The man took a slow drag of his cigarette before flicking it to the ground, crushing it under his heel. "Anthony Smith. Officially? Government spy. Unofficially? A guy who's really hoping you don't punch me right now."
Every single alarm in my head went off.
A spy? From the government? Approaching me right after the trial?
The moment my muscles tensed further, Anthony raised both hands in a placating gesture. "Hey, relax. Not here to kill you or anything."
"That's exactly what someone who's here to kill me would say."
He laughed. A genuine, amused chuckle. "Damn, you're funnier in person."
I didn't move. "Why are you here?"
Anthony tilted his head, studying me. "Relax dude, I'm on the same side as Evelyn."
I stiffened.
The name—
It didn't shock me. I had suspected for a while that Evelyn was deeply connected to the government in ways she hadn't shared yet. But hearing it confirmed? Hearing it from a spy?
That changed things.
Still, I didn't drop my guard. "And what does Evelyn want?"
Anthony smirked. "Think of it less like something she wants, and more like something the government needs."
I clenched my jaw. "If this is about the trial—"
Anthony waved a hand. "Nope. Trial's done. You won fair and square."
"Then what?"
He exhaled, running a hand through his messy blond hair. "Alright, listen. Before you start freaking out—"
"I'm not going to quit." I cut in, voice sharp.
Anthony blinked. "Uh. What?"
"I don't care what dirt you have on me, or what threats you think will work—I'm not quitting. I'm not walking away."
Anthony stared at me. Then, to my utter confusion—
He burst out laughing.
"Dude. What?!" He doubled over slightly, shaking his head. "Oh man, I really screwed up my delivery, huh?"
I narrowed my eyes. "What the hell are you talking about?"
He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, still chuckling. "You think we're trying to make you quit? Reynard, my guy—that's the worst-case scenario for us."
I frowned. "What?"
Anthony finally straightened, shaking his head. "Look, man. You've got it all wrong. We're not trying to shut you down."
He grinned.
"We need you to be the next World President."
The world stilled.
The air stopped.
For a moment, I could have sworn I misheard him.
"...Excuse me?"
Anthony clapped his hands together. "Alright! Let's talk politics."
I stared at him.
What. The. Hell.