Chapter 26 – Shadows in the Mist
The night air was thick with the scent of smoke and damp earth as Adrian and Evelyn moved through the dense forest. The flames from Lindenhall Estate still flickered in the distance, casting an eerie glow against the sky.
But they didn't stop.
They couldn't.
Lucien wasn't dead. Not yet. And as long as he was still breathing, Adrian wouldn't rest.
Evelyn walked beside him, silent but steady. Their moment by the lake still lingered between them. The warmth of her lips, the way she had held onto him like he was something worth saving.
But now, reality pressed back in.
Their enemies were still out there. And one of them was already waiting.
Because as they reached the clearing—
Selene was there.
Leaning casually against a black SUV, arms crossed, watching them.
Adrian stopped. His body tensed automatically, his muscles coiled like a predator ready to strike.
Evelyn reached for her gun.
Selene just smirked.
"Relax, darling," she said smoothly. "If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't have made it this far."
Evelyn narrowed her eyes. "That's not exactly comforting."
Selene chuckled. "Fair point." She straightened, stepping forward. "But let's skip the pleasantries, shall we? We have a mutual problem."
Adrian exhaled slowly, keeping his voice calm. Cold. "Lucien."
Selene's smile didn't fade. "You're finally catching up."
Adrian clenched his jaw. "You knew where he was this whole time."
Selene tilted her head. "Of course I did."
Evelyn's fingers tightened on her gun. "Then why didn't you kill him?"
Selene sighed, almost bored. "Because, darling—Lucien Calloway is a chess player. And you don't take out the king until you've cleared the board."
Adrian's eyes darkened. "You think this is a game?"
Selene's smirk faded. "No, Adrian." She stepped closer, her voice dropping lower. "I think this is war."
A tense silence settled between them.
Adrian studied her carefully. Selene had never been trustworthy. She was powerful, calculating, and played by rules only she understood.
But there was something different in her eyes now.
Something personal.
Evelyn folded her arms. "What's your angle?"
Selene exhaled, her mask slipping—just slightly. "Lucien isn't just a threat to you. He's a threat to all of us."
Adrian's gaze didn't waver. "Then why help us?"
Selene smiled again. This time, it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Because I want to watch him burn."
---
The Enemy of My Enemy
The inside of Selene's SUV smelled like leather and gunpowder. Evelyn sat in the passenger seat, while Adrian leaned against the back door, arms crossed.
Selene tossed a tablet onto Evelyn's lap. "Go ahead. Take a look."
Evelyn tapped the screen, and a list of names and locations flickered to life. Bank transactions. Shell corporations. A web of connections leading back to one name.
Lucien Calloway.
Adrian's stomach twisted.
This wasn't just an empire. It was an entire network of power.
Evelyn's brow furrowed. "He's been planning something."
Selene nodded. "For years."
Adrian met her gaze. "What does he want?"
Selene's smirk was sharp. "To rebuild Orion's Circle—stronger than before."
Evelyn's fingers tightened on the tablet. "And you want us to stop him?"
Selene leaned back against the driver's seat, tapping her nails against the steering wheel. "No, sweetheart." Her eyes flickered to Adrian. "I want him to stop him."
Adrian held her gaze. Unblinking. Unmoving.
Selene smiled. "You see, Lucien isn't afraid of me. He isn't afraid of government agencies, assassins, or warlords." She leaned in slightly, voice silk and steel.
"He's afraid of you."
Evelyn glanced at Adrian. He didn't react. Didn't flinch.
Because she was right.
Lucien had spent years turning him into a weapon.
And now, that weapon was pointed back at him.
Adrian exhaled. "Where is he?"
Selene smirked. "Now we're talking."
She reached into the center console, pulled out a black envelope, and handed it to Adrian.
Another name. Another address.
This time, it wasn't a hidden fortress or an underground prison.
It was a private estate in New York City.
Lucien had gone home.
Adrian stared at the address.
Selene's voice was softer now. Almost amused. "So, what's it going to be, darling?"
Adrian closed the envelope.
Then, without warning—
He opened the car door and got out.
Selene blinked. "Rude."
Evelyn followed after him, her boots crunching against the gravel. "Adrian."
He didn't stop.
She grabbed his arm. "Talk to me."
Adrian exhaled, his muscles coiled tight. "I don't need her help."
Evelyn searched his face. "But we do need the information."
His jaw clenched.
She wasn't wrong.
Selene had given them the one thing they needed most.
A location.
An end to all of this.
Evelyn's voice softened. "This isn't just your fight anymore."
Adrian met her gaze. "It should be."
Evelyn stepped closer. "But it's not."
His fingers curled into fists.
He had spent his whole life alone.
He had spent years training himself to never need anyone.
But Evelyn was here.
She wasn't leaving.
And neither was he.
Finally, Adrian exhaled. Nodded.
Evelyn smiled. "Good."
From behind them, Selene's voice drifted through the night.
"If you two are done with your little moment," she drawled, "we have a war to win."
Adrian smirked.
For the first time in a long time, he wasn't walking into this fight alone.
Lucien Calloway had spent years building his empire.
Now, Adrian was going to tear it down.