2025-08-09 05:48:51
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Chapter Ninety - nine
Eli woke to the sound of a house breathing.It took him a second to place it—the faint creak of wood settling, the low hum of a refrigerator somewhere nearby, the distant clink of a spoon against ceramic. Morning sounds. Domestic ones. The kind that didn’t belong to glass-walled bedrooms or quiet penthouses or places that existed mostly to be passed through.He stared at the ceiling, unfamiliar and faintly cracked at one corner, and let the confusion pass.Right.Evelyn and Franklin’s house.He hadn’t slept like this in years.Not the kind of sleep that pulled him under without resistance, without the half-conscious vigilance that usually lingered at the edge of his mind. He hadn’t dreamed—at least, not anything he remembered. No fragments. No unfinished conversations looping endlessly.Just darkness. And rest.That realization alone made his chest tighten.He sat up slowly, as if sudden movement might break whatever fragile thing had allowed him peace. The blanket slid down to his wa
Chapter Ninety - eight
Morning arrived gently.Not with alarms or urgent calls or the sharp intrusion of responsibility—but with light filtering through the tall windows, pale and unassuming, as though the day itself was testing the ground before making demands.Eli woke slowly.For a moment, he didn’t move. Just lay there, staring at the ceiling, listening to the quiet hum of the house. The night before had been long—roads without destinations, thoughts that had needed space more than answers. He’d returned late, parked in the driveway long after the city had surrendered to sleep, and collapsed into bed with a tiredness that felt earned rather than heavy.He reached for his phone out of habit.No missed emergency calls.No red alerts.No messages marked *urgent*.Instead—A notification banner slid across the screen.Voice note received.Sender: Aurelius Group — Executive ChannelEli frowned slightly.He sat up, back resting against the headboard, and tapped play.For a split second, there was silence.The
Chapter Ninety - seven
Eli didn’t return to the bedside, immediately.He stood just outside the glass partition, one hand resting against the cool surface, eyes fixed on Elara’s still form. Her breathing remained even. Untroubled. For now, that was enough.Karim waited beside him, patient in the way only someone who had learned to coexist with dangerous silences could be.“Karim,” Eli said without looking away. “You’ll stay here.”Karim inclined his head slightly. “Of course.”“If she wakes up and asks for me—”“I’ll tell her you stepped out,” Karim said. “If she asks who I am, I’ll say I’m your friend and colleague.”Eli’s gaze shifted to him then. “No embellishments.”A faint, knowing look crossed Karim’s face. “I wouldn't dream of it.”“Good.” Eli exhaled slowly. “Don’t leave her alone. Not for a second.”“You don’t need to say it.”Eli nodded once, a silent acknowledgment of trust earned the hard way. He straightened, already compartmentalizing, already moving on to the next necessary thing.“Call me if
Chapter Ninety - six
Eli didn’t touch her.Not at first.He stood there with his hands at his sides, fingers flexing once as if testing whether his body still answered to him. The urge to reach out—to confirm warmth, solidity, undeniable presence—sat sharp beneath his ribs. He resisted it with the same discipline he used to resist panic, impulse, hope.Hope was dangerous.He leaned closer instead, lowering himself into the chair beside the bed. The faint sound of her breathing filled the space between heartbeats. In. Out. Consistent. Alive.Thirty-six hours ago, Karim had said.Thirty-six hours where the world had continued turning without this truth. Thirty-six hours where Eli had still been in that underground city trying to figure out what it wanted from him.He let his gaze trace her face, cataloging differences with ruthless precision. The hollow at her cheekbones. The slight discoloration at her temple, almost hidden by her hair. An IV line threaded into her arm, tape secure, clinical and careful.S
Chapter Ninety - five
The jet accepted them without ceremony.No pause for drama, no sense of occasion—just the soft intake of air, the familiar hush of insulation, and the quiet competence of people who were paid very well not to react. Carlos moved ahead as usual, exchanging brief confirmations with the crew, every step efficient and practiced. He didn’t linger, didn’t make small talk. There was a rhythm to the way he operated in spaces like this—measured, unassuming, in control.Eli followed more slowly.Not because he needed the time, but because slowing himself down felt deliberate. Necessary. The cabin felt the same as it always did—leather, low lighting, subtle temperature control tuned to comfort rather than personality. Predictable. Safe. He let that familiarity settle into his bones as he took his seat, loosening his jacket but not removing it. A habit he hadn’t questioned in years.The door sealed. The engines began their steady hum.Zurich slipped away without sentiment.Carlos sat across from
Chapter Ninety - four
Carlos was already dressed when Eli woke up.That alone was unsettling.Not just dressed— assembled. Hair neat. Shirt pressed. Jacket on. Shoes laced. The version of Carlos standing near the window looked like the man Eli had known for years: calm, efficient, already ten steps ahead of whatever problem was currently pretending not to exist.Morning light cut through the hotel room in clean, unapologetic angles. Zurich looked crisp outside, like a city that believed very strongly in schedules and accountability.Eli blinked, disoriented.For a split second, his brain supplied the wrong memory. Carlos chewing bread like it was a religious experience. Carlos narrating textures. Carlos joking about nutrition opinions and conceptual dirt.This Carlos did none of that.He was scrolling through a tablet, expression neutral, posture loose but alert. A mug of coffee sat untouched on the desk beside him, steam thinning.Eli pushed himself upright. His head felt heavy, like his thoughts had been
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