It was not a hard kiss. It was not demanding or aggressive or anything like the kisses she had read about in books.  She felt only softness as his lips brushed against hers, a gentle press of skin that was barely there before he leaned closer, his chest brushing against hers, the heat of his body seeping through the fabric of her clothes.  They lingered for a heartbeat, then parted slightly, the gentle friction of his upper lip dragging across her lower one before he pulled back.  The movement was slow, deliberate, a question asked through the barest touch. When he finally pulled back, it was slow, but his lips did not leave entirely. They hovered near hers, the tip of his tongue darting out just enough to wet his bottom lip, a flicker of heat that she felt rather than saw. And Seraphina was left reeling. Her entire face felt like it had

Although he sounded stern and firm, there was a worry in his eyes that he could not hide, a fear that he did not bother to conceal. He was desperate as he said all these things, was practically begging her, in the only way he knew how, to take care of herself for once.But Seraphina was mad at him for this.He could see it in her eyes, the way they hardened, the way her jaw tightened. She was mad at him for looking at her like that, for treating her like she was fragile and for acting as if she could not handle herself. She did not hide it. Her eyes were firm, unyielding, a silent declaration that she was not a child to be ordered around.But she was wrong about why he looked at her that way.She thought he saw her as fragile. She thought he wanted to protect her because he did not believe she could protect herself. She thought he looked at her and saw someone weak, someone breakable, someone who needed to be shielded from the world.That was not it at all.He was in awe of her.

Scoffing, the older woman continued, ruthless as she made her point, "You were literally stabbed last night and you lost a significant amount of blood. Your body is still healing. Worrying about me is not a productive use of your resources, rather it is foolish of you to do so when you are so clearly in over your head.”She looked up from her phone, and her pale eyes met Li Na's wide ones."Hence have more important things to think about," she concluded.Li Na gaped at her.She felt her face heat, felt her jaw drop open, felt the flush of embarrassment and anger spreading across her cheeks. The woman was talking to her like she was a child. Like she didn't understand what was happening. Like she was too young or too stupid or too naive to grasp the danger she was in."Well," Li Na said, and her voice was trembling slightly with indignation, "sue me for being concerned."Seraphina's eyebrows rose."I know I don't know you," Li Na continued, pushing herself up straighter against her pi

None of them looked up when he entered.Zachary stood there for a moment, waiting. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He cleared his throat, softly at first, then louder.Nothing.They kept typing and kept scrolling, their eyes fixed on their screens like he wasn't even there.‘Either they didn't notice me’, he thought, ‘or they noticed and they don't care’.He wasn't sure which was worse.He thought about announcing himself. About clearing his throat again, louder this time, or saying something like "hello" or "excuse me" or "I'm basically your boss's boss and I'm standing right here." But the words felt wrong in his mouth. Too dramatic. Too desperate for attention that he didn't actually want.If they knew who he really was, would they still ignore him?Probably not. But that was the whole point of the cover, wasn't it? To be ignored. To be underestimated. To move through the world without anyone paying him enough attention to ask the wrong questions.He shook his

She didn't answer immediately. Her head was still bent over her tablet, her eyes still scanning whatever data was scrolling across the screen. Zachary was about to repeat himself, louder this time, when she finally spoke."No," she said, and there was something in her voice that he hadn't heard before. Apology, maybe. Or exhaustion. Or both. "I'm sorry. So much was happening that I forgot to explain, Young—Mr. Zachary."She stumbled over his name, catching herself at the last moment, and Zachary felt a flicker of something that might have been amusement despite his irritation. Even in the middle of a crisis, she was trying to maintain his cover."We are tracking the person right now," she continued, her pace quickening as they approached the door. "But we might lose them if we aren't moving. It's not as simple as that, but it's the best I can do. Follow me."She walked out the door without looking back.Zachary stood there for a moment, staring at the space where she had been. He