Nora clutched the strap of her bag tighter as the elevator climbed the last floors of the Vortex Innovations tower. The day had been a whirlwind,between wrapping up the Whirlybird prototype, navigating Damien's ever-worsening moods, and helping track down her missing team, her brain was spinning. Now, she was going to his place.
She still couldn't quite believe she'd agreed to it. Damien Voss had simply looked her in the eye and said, "Pack your bags. You're coming with me." No explanation. No tone of request. Just cold, ruthless command.
And here she was.
The penthouse doors slid open to reveal a space so opulent it didn't seem real. Sleek, high ceilings met full-length windows that showed a skyline view of the city glowing in the night. Dark hardwood floors stretched beneath minimalist designer furniture, and in the center was a glass staircase spiraling upward like something out of a dream.
She took one slow step in.
"Take the guest room. Last door on the left," Damien said, already moving toward the kitchen with long strides. "Don't wander."
Nora blinked. "Okay."
He handed her a sleek black keycard before disappearing into another room. His tone hadn't softened one bit. If anything, he seemed more on edge tonight than usual. She had no idea what had gotten into him, but then again, did she ever?
She turned to head toward the guest room. Just as she reached for the doorknob, her phone buzzed.
Unknown Number: They're watching you.
Her heart dropped.
The same number that warned her about the bomb in the X-17 core. Her blood went cold.
She turned sharply and hurried back down the hall toward Damien, her knuckles white around the phone. "Damien?" she called, a little breathless.
He looked up from his whiskey glass, brows furrowed. "What?"
She held out the phone. "I got another message. Same number. It just said—"They're watching you."
His jaw tightened. He took the phone from her and scanned the screen. "This is getting too damn close."
Before he could say more, a knock echoed through the penthouse. Three hard taps.
Damien stiffened and walked over to the door, peering through the keyhole. His entire posture changed. Nora stepped closer. "Who is it?"He didn't answer.
A moment passed. Then he unlocked the door and pulled it open.
A tall woman with waves of perfect auburn hair and a blood-red dress stood on the threshold. Her heels clicked sharply on the marble floor as she stepped in, confident, smug.
"Darling," she cooed, pressing a kiss to Damien's lips without invitation.
Nora froze. What the hell?
Damien didn't kiss her back. In fact, his entire body screamed tension. But he let it happen. Then stepped back. "Victoria," he said, flatly.
Victoria swept a glance at Nora, her lips curling into a slow, knowing smile. "You didn't tell me you had guests."
Nora folded her arms across her chest. "I was just leaving."
Damien shot her a warning look. "You're not going anywhere." Nora glared back. "Fine. Then I'll be in the guest room."
She stormed off, her heart pounding with something far worse than jealousy. Confusion. Unease. And that nagging fear that none of this, any of this, was really about her anymore.
Inside the guest room, Nora paced. She didn't know who Victoria was, but the kiss made it clear she wasn't just some old friend. And the way Damien didn't even flinch? It bothered her more than she cared to admit.
Her phone buzzed again.This time, just a location pin. A red dot blinking on a map.
Her stomach twisted. Was this a trap? A warning? A clue?
She stared at the screen, fingers hovering above the keyboard, debating whether to tell Damien. But when she pressed her ear to the wall, she heard muffled voices, Victoria's lilting tone and Damien's low growl.
"…This wasn't the time to show up."
"Oh please, Damien. Don't act like you're not glad to see me."
"I'm not. You shouldn't have come."
Nora's chest tightened.
So he wasn't happy about it. But then why let her stay? And why kiss her?
Her thoughts spiraled until she curled up on the edge of the bed, still staring at the blinking red dot on her phone screen.
Something was going on. Something bigger than missing engineers and prototype bombs. She could feel it in her bones.
Just as she was drifting into a restless sleep, a shadow moved past the crack under her door. She sat up, her breath caught.
But when she opened the door, no one was there. Only silence. And that blinking red dot.
***
The pin on the map changed. It was no longer just a location. It now displayed a name.
"Victoria Lehn—Helix Operative."
Nora's fingers trembled as she backed away from the screen. She wasn't just sharing a roof with Damien Voss. She was sleeping down the hall from a spy.