Sera’s voice trembled as she whispered, “Elias…” Her fingers were still pressed against the journal, her face pale. The words on the page felt like a wound she couldn’t close.Elias leaned closer, his brows drawing together as he read. The line hit him like a physical blow: “This life is a cover; the target’s name is Seraphina Shaw.”For a long moment, he couldn’t speak. His throat went dry, and his pulse pounded in his ears. “What… what is this supposed to mean?” he finally asked, his voice breaking the silence that had swallowed them both.Sera looked at him with wide, uncertain eyes. “You tell me,” she said. “Because your name is all over this journal. Whoever wrote it… whoever this man was… he thought I was his target.”Elias stared at the page again, his jaw tightening. The ink was thick, the handwriting forceful. He could feel the echo of his own movements in those letters, as if his hands had once written them. But he had no memory of it. None.He pushed the journal back slowly

Alistair had been silent for too long. Watching from the shadows, moving carefully, feeding Elias pieces of information when he needed it — it had worked for a while. But after Dorian Croft’s sudden moves and Victoria’s call, he knew the game was shifting.Dorian wasn’t a fool. He was a strategist. The kind who played with people’s lives like chess pieces. If Alistair didn’t act now, Elias would be cornered before he even remembered who he really was.That evening, the sun was dipping low behind the hills, throwing the city in a dull orange haze. Elias sat at the far end of his study, scrolling through the digital records from the flash drive again, looking for meaning in the fragments.He barely noticed when the door opened and Alistair walked in. The older man looked calm as always, his coat buttoned, his silver hair neat, but his eyes carried a certain heaviness — a sign that whatever he had to say wasn’t small.Elias looked up. “You don’t usually show up unannounced.”“I figured t

Elias didn’t want another day filled with business calls, strategy meetings, or secret phone discussions with Alistair. He wanted something simple. Something that reminded him he was still human — not just a man at war with his past.So, when he looked up from his desk and saw Sera waiting at the door with that soft smile that always made him feel lighter, the idea came easily.“How about we go out tonight?” he said.Sera blinked, surprised. “Out?”“Yeah,” Elias said. “A real date. Just us. No work, no stress. What do you think?”Her lips curved into a slow smile. “You mean, you’re actually taking me out voluntarily?”He chuckled. “Don’t make it sound like I’ve never done it.”Sera folded her arms, teasing. “The last time we went on a proper date, you were still pretending to be a broke son-in-law.”He truly was, but okay. He'd let her have that one. He grinned. “Then I guess I owe you one.”That evening, they met at a quiet restaurant near the waterfront. The air smelled faintly of

Elias didn’t flinch when he saw Dorian standing by the entrance. The crowd, the lights, the murmurs — none of it broke his calm expression. He simply adjusted his cufflinks, placed a hand on Sera’s back, and walked past Dorian as if the man were invisible.Dorian’s eyes widened slightly, disbelief written all over his face. Elias didn’t even glance his way. It was as if Dorian was just another stranger lost in the crowd.Sera noticed the tension but didn’t comment. Her hand rested lightly on Elias’s arm, her smile never faltering as they entered the grand hall. Cameras flashed again, reporters whispered excitedly, and a wave of attention followed them across the room.To everyone else, they looked perfect — powerful, poised, untouchable.But beneath Elias’s calm surface, his thoughts were spinning.Earlier that day, before the party, Elias had received a secure message from one of his old contacts — the kind of message that didn’t come through normal channels. It was left in a hidden

Alistair arrived without warning. He looked tired, like he hadn’t slept in days, and there was a tension in his movements that Elias immediately noticed. Sera had just finished a call when he came in, but one look at Alistair’s face told her something was wrong.“Talk,” Elias said flatly, shutting the door behind him.Alistair didn’t waste time. “It’s spreading. On the dark web, on private servers, everywhere. People are saying the ruthless CEO didn’t die. They think you’re alive, Elias.”Sera froze. “What do you mean ‘people’? Who exactly?”“Your enemies,” Alistair said. “Former allies too. It’s bad. They want proof that you’re gone for good. Some are calling for another hit. But the message behind it is clear—they don’t just want Elias dead. They want to make sure he stays powerless.”Elias’s jaw tightened. “Translation?”Alistair looked at Sera, hesitating before saying the words. “They’re coming for her.”Sera blinked. “Me?”“They think killing you would cut off his balance, his a