As it turned out, Oscar didn't need to do anything at all.He stood there and watched as panic spread across Derek's face after the gunshot echoed through the canyon.Blood began streaming from Derek's hand.The bullet had somehow ricocheted back and struck him instead.The men surrounding Jacob stared in disbelief.Their mouths hung open.Nobody could understand what they had just witnessed."Kill him."Jacob's cold command shattered the silence.Immediately, more than twenty men charged forward.Oscar remained perfectly still.He didn't shout.He didn't move.He simply stood there with his eyes half-focused, listening.The pendant around his neck had begun alternating between icy cold and burning hot.The warning signs had returned.Danger was coming.He could feel it.Swords flashed from every direction.Dozens of blades converged on him at once.Oscar inhaled deeply.Then he jumped.Whoosh!His body shot skyward.Higher.Higher.Higher.In the blink of an eye, he was soaring above

Too many threats at once.He needed to end this now.Before something happened to her.Above them, the sky darkened further.The storm clouds churned violently.Wind roared across the mountainside.The air itself seemed to tremble.Oscar planted his feet.The sword was coming.Straight at him.No time left.No room to dodge.With a furious roar, he thrust his hand forward."Aaaah!"He would stop it himself.He would catch it.No matter what.The blade struck.For a split second, Oscar thought he had succeeded.Then pain exploded through his arm.The sword punched straight through his palm.Blood splattered across the ground.The instant the sword pierced through Oscar's hand, a bolt of lightning ripped across the sky.It didn't strike randomly.It came straight down.A single brilliant column of white energy descended from the storm clouds and wrapped itself around Oscar's arm.Everything froze.The sword remained embedded through his palm.Yet there was no pain.No blood.Nothing.Os

Elizabeth shook her head."Oscar."She pointed toward his injured arm."You stepped in front of bullets for me today."Oscar opened his mouth.She didn't let him interrupt."You stood between me and armed men."Her eyes drifted briefly to the fresh bandage."You got hurt protecting me."Her voice softened."And after all that, you're worried that I'm the one making bad decisions?"Oscar immediately looked away.The floor suddenly seemed fascinating.Elizabeth fought back another smile.Honestly, this man was impossible."I asked you to rest beside me."She rolled her eyes."I'm not asking you to sleep with me."Oscar rubbed the back of his head again.Several times.Trying—and failing—to hide his embarrassment.Apparently explaining basic concern to this woman was far more difficult than fighting armed criminals.Elizabeth pulled the blanket up and settled comfortably against the pillows.Then she pointed toward the empty side of the bed one last time."Stop overthinking everything an

"He's handling another assignment for me today."Oscar hesitated.Then he cleared his throat."If you'd like, I can drive."Elizabeth turned toward him.Surprised."You can drive?"Oscar nodded."A little."A grin spread across her face."Why didn't you tell me that?"Oscar laughed awkwardly."You never asked.""Where did you learn?""When I first moved to the city."He scratched the back of his neck."A friend taught me."Elizabeth's eyes lit up."Perfect."Without another word, she opened her door and climbed out.Elizabeth spent the first few minutes explaining the car's controls.It was a high-end luxury vehicle with features Oscar had never seen before. The only cars he had driven in the past had been older models—basic transportation with none of the technology packed into this one.Once he felt comfortable behind the wheel, he eased the car onto the road."So where are we headed?"The question seemed simple enough.Yet Elizabeth didn't answer immediately.Instead, she studied h

“Safe house,” Elizabeth explained quickly.“It’s not technically mine. But this is the most secure place we have.”More accurately, it was one of her father’s hidden operations sites.For years, the old building had served as a covert intelligence hub. With the network operating inside it, General Danur had managed to uncover countless smuggling routes, illegal shipments, underground trafficking rings, and other criminal operations.The people truly behind those black-market empires had always stayed hidden, but their identities were already known. The problem was finding enough evidence to take them down.So far, only their subordinates and hired operatives had been arrested. Even after General Danur’s retirement, the mission had never stopped.“The most secure place?” Oscar asked, clearly confused.Elizabeth looked at him seriously.“This isn’t optional anymore. If you keep moving alone, you’re going to become an easy target.”“And what exactly is happening?”“They’ve already starte