2026-02-02 08:19:12The file arrived at 4:03 a.m. Ethan was still under the overpass, engine off, city noise muffled by concrete and distance. The encrypted phone vibrated once, no warning, no urgency.
He opened it. Identity Packet — ACTIVE
A face appeared first. Not his. Mid-thirties. Clean haircut. Forgettable in a way that felt intentional. The kind of face people remembered only after it left the room, and even then, vaguely.
Name: Adrian Cole
History: Plausible. Boring. Verified.
Digital Footprint: Eight years. Clean.
Social Access Level: Moderate
Flags: None
Ethan scrolled. Bank accounts. Rental history. Travel stamps. A handful of photos at networking events. Smiling beside people who didn’t matter. “Adrian Cole,” Ethan murmured.
The phone buzzed. Unknown: Say it.
Ethan didn’t hesitate. “I’m Adrian Cole.”
Good.
Ethan frowned. To who?
The reply came with a location pin. His old world. Maya’s world. A private rooftop lounge overlooking the city, one of those places that charged too much for air and attracted people who confused exclusivity with importance.
Ethan leaned back against the seat. That’s her circle, he typed.
''Correct.''
''She’ll recognize me.''
A pause. ''No. She recognizes Derick.''
Ethan stared at the phone. That distinction settled deep. Rules, he typed.
One: You do not speak to Maya unless she speaks first.
Three: You observe who watches you.*
Ethan nodded once. Wardrobe? he asked.
A photo appeared. Black blazer. Open collar. No tie. Expensive enough to pass. Simple enough to forget.
''Someone else will handle entry, the message added. You just need to arrive.''
The phone went dark. The rooftop lounge breathed money. Soft lighting. Low music. Glass walls framing the city like a trophy.
People clustered in curated groups, laughter measured, gestures restrained. Ethan stepped out of the elevator precisely at nine. No hesitation. No searching eyes.
He belonged. A hostess glanced at her tablet, smiled. “Mr. Cole. Welcome.”
Ethan inclined his head. “Thank you.”
She waved him through. The first thing he noticed was Maya’s laugh. Not because it was loud, but because it carried.
She stood near the bar, dressed in black, confidence draped over her shoulders like a second skin. Lucas was beside her, hand resting too casually on her waist.
Caleb lingered nearby, drink untouched, eyes scanning the room like he was waiting for something to go wrong. Ethan took a glass from a passing tray. Didn’t drink. Just held it.
The phone buzzed once in his pocket. ''Positions confirmed. Begin passive engagement.''
A man approached him almost immediately. “Adrian Cole?” the man asked.
“Yes.”
“I’m Victor Ames.”
Ethan’s lips twitched internally. Maya’s lawyer. Victor extended a hand. Ethan shook it—firm, brief.
“You work in logistics,” Victor said. “I hear you’re very discreet.”
“I try to be,” Ethan replied.
Victor smiled thinly. “People here appreciate that.”
“So I’ve noticed,” Ethan said.
Victor gestured around them. “Power attracts attention. Attention attracts problems.”
“And problems attract people like you,” Ethan said calmly.
Victor chuckled. “Touché.”
From across the room, Maya’s gaze flicked toward them. She frowned. “Who’s that?” she asked Lucas quietly.
Lucas shrugged. “Another consultant, I think.”
“He looks familiar.”
Lucas smirked. “You say that about everyone with shoulders.”
Ethan felt her eyes linger. The phone buzzed. ''She’s curious.''
Expected, Ethan typed. A woman slid into the space beside him. Early forties. Sharp eyes. Controlled smile. “Serena Vale,” she said. “You’re new.”
“Adrian,” Ethan replied.
Serena studied him openly. “You’re calm.”
“I sleep well.”
She laughed softly. “That’s rare here.”
“You?” he asked.
She lifted her glass. “Insomnia pays my bills.”
Victor excused himself. Serena leaned closer. “You’re not like the others.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Because I’m quiet?”
“Because you’re listening,” she said.
Ethan smiled faintly. “Habit.”
Maya approached before Serena could continue. “Hi,” Maya said, eyes locked on Ethan’s face. “We haven’t met.”
“No,” Ethan agreed. “We haven’t.”
Her smile tightened. “Maya.”
“Adrian.”
She extended her hand. Ethan took it. Her fingers were warm. She didn’t let go immediately. “You look like someone I used to know,” she said lightly.
Ethan met her gaze. Calm. Blank. “People say that,” he replied. “Faces repeat.”
Her eyes searched his. “Your voice is different.”
“From who?”
She hesitated. “Never mind.”
Lucas stepped in. “You’re making him uncomfortable.”
Ethan chuckled softly. “I’m fine.”
Maya released his hand. “What do you do, Adrian?”
“I solve problems people don’t want traced back to them.”
Lucas laughed. “That’s vague.”
“It keeps clients relaxed,” Ethan said. Maya smiled again, but this time, uncertainty crept in. The phone buzzed.
''Good. She doubts herself.''
Serena watched the exchange carefully. “You should be careful,” Serena said to Ethan once Maya stepped away. “She has a habit of testing people.”
“I don’t mind tests,” Ethan replied. “They reveal expectations.”
Serena tilted her head. “And what do you expect from tonight?”
Ethan glanced around the room. “Nothing,” he said. “That’s why I’ll learn everything.”
Serena smiled. “Interesting answer.”
Across the lounge, Caleb stared openly now. His brow furrowed. His grip tightened around his glass. He walked over slowly. “You,” Caleb said. “We’ve met.”
Ethan looked at him calmly. “I don’t think so.”
“Yes,” Caleb insisted. “I’d remember.”
Ethan shrugged. “Memory is selective.”
Caleb’s voice lowered. “What’s your name again?”
“Adrian Cole.”
Caleb’s jaw clenched.
“You look like”
“Someone else,” Ethan finished. “So I’ve been told.”
Caleb searched his face desperately. “Derick?”
The name hung between them. Ethan didn’t flinch. “I’m sorry,” he said gently. “You have me confused with someone important to you.”
Caleb’s face drained of color. “I ” He swallowed. “Yeah. Sorry.”
Ethan nodded. “It happens.”
Caleb stepped back, shaken. The phone buzzed. ''That hurt him.''
Ethan typed: He deserves clarity, not comfort.
''Agreed,'' came the reply. ''You’re adapting well.''
Maya watched Caleb retreat, unease spreading through her posture. She approached Ethan again. “You’re really saying you don’t know him?” she asked.
Ethan met her gaze evenly. “I don’t.”
She studied him closely now. “Then why does it feel like you’re judging me?”
Ethan paused. “Maybe,” he said softly, “you’re not used to silence reflecting you back.”
Her breath caught. Lucas scoffed. “That’s dramatic.”
Ethan smiled politely. “Most truths are.”
Maya laughed, but it sounded brittle. “You’re interesting,” she said. “Dangerously so.”
Ethan inclined his head. “So I’ve been warned.”
The phone buzzed one last time. ''Exit in five minutes. Leave them unsettled.''
Ethan finished his drink without tasting it. He turned to Serena. “Pleasure.”
She nodded. “We’ll talk again.”
Ethan walked toward the elevator. Behind him, Maya stared after him, pulse racing. “Who was that?” she whispered.
Lucas frowned. “No idea.”
Caleb sat down heavily. “That was him.”
Maya’s smile faded. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Caleb shook his head. “I know his silence.”
The elevator doors closed. Ethan’s reflection stared back at him, composed, unfamiliar, exact. The phone buzzed. ''You’ve entered the circle.''
Ethan exhaled slowly. “Good,” he murmured. “Now it gets honest.”
Above him, the rooftop buzzed with laughter and unease. Below, the city waited. And somewhere between the two, Ethan Black was learning just how deeply absence could cut.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
CHAPTER 9 — WHEN GHOSTS BLEED
The engine growled as Ethan pushed the car past its comfort. Red lights blurred into streaks. The city bent around him, familiar roads turning sharp and narrow as he cut through traffic with ruthless precision.He didn’t use sirens. Didn’t need them. Fear cleared paths faster than authority ever could. Jonas’s voice crackled through the earpiece. “Teams are five minutes out.”“Too long,” Ethan replied.“You’re not equipped for direct engagement.”Ethan turned hard onto Maya’s street. “I’m equipped for inevitability.”Silence followed. Jonas knew better than to argue now. Ethan parked three buildings down, engine still running.He stepped out, jacket unzipped, movements unhurried. Anyone watching would mistake him for another late-night passerby. That mistake would cost them.He crossed the street, eyes scanning reflections, windows, parked cars, puddles of old rain. The building loomed ahead, lights dark except for one apartment on the third floor. Maya’s.The front door was ajar. Eth
CHAPTER 8 — THE PRICE OF BEING HEARD
Lucas liked to talk when he felt safe. Ethan had learned that years ago, back when Lucas still borrowed money and promised repayment with dramatic sincerity.Now, safety looked different. It was confidence inflated by victory, by the belief that Derick Hale was dead and buried. That belief made men sloppy.The feed played silently on the wall. Lucas paced his apartment, phone pressed to his ear, drink in his other hand. His laughter was loud, careless.The kind that came from thinking the storm had passed. Jonas watched Ethan from the corner of his eye. “We can mute the audio if you want.”“No,” Ethan said.Jonas nodded to a technician. Sound filled the room. “…telling you, man, it’s clean,” Lucas said. “No body, no mess. Guy just cracked. Happens all the time.”Ethan’s jaw tightened, just a fraction. Jonas leaned closer. “You recognize the voice on the other end?”Ethan listened. The voice was distorted, filtered, but the cadence was sharp. Professional. Curious. “No,” Ethan said. “B
CHAPTER 7 — ECHOES PEOPLE CAN’T EXPLAIN
Ethan didn’t leave immediately. That was the first deviation. He stood just outside the building, under the wash of white security lights, letting the city’s night air cool his skin.The rooftop’s laughter still echoed faintly above him, distorted by glass and height. The phone vibrated.Unknown: You were instructed to exit.Ethan typed with one hand. ''I did. I just didn’t vanish.''A pause. ''Careful.''Ethan slipped the phone into his pocket and stepped into the street. He walked instead of driving. That was the second deviation.The city rewarded walkers with truths drivers missed, arguments spilling out of bars, quiet deals in shadows, the real rhythm beneath curated noise.Ethan moved with the crowd, head down, posture unremarkable. His reflection appeared in a shop window. Adrian Cole looked comfortable. That disturbed him.A familiar voice cut through the air behind him. “Hey.”Ethan didn’t turn. The voice came closer. “Adrian.”He stopped. Caleb stood a few feet away, jacket
CHAPTER 6 — A FACE THAT DOESN’T EXIST
The file arrived at 4:03 a.m. Ethan was still under the overpass, engine off, city noise muffled by concrete and distance. The encrypted phone vibrated once, no warning, no urgency.He opened it. Identity Packet — ACTIVEA face appeared first. Not his. Mid-thirties. Clean haircut. Forgettable in a way that felt intentional. The kind of face people remembered only after it left the room, and even then, vaguely.Name: Adrian ColeOccupation: Independent logistics consultantHistory: Plausible. Boring. Verified.Digital Footprint: Eight years. Clean.Social Access Level: ModerateFlags: NoneEthan scrolled. Bank accounts. Rental history. Travel stamps. A handful of photos at networking events. Smiling beside people who didn’t matter. “Adrian Cole,” Ethan murmured.The phone buzzed. Unknown: Say it.Ethan didn’t hesitate. “I’m Adrian Cole.”Good.Tonight, you’ll attend a gathering, Invitation already sent.Ethan frowned. To who?The reply came with a location pin. His old world. Maya’s wo
CHAPTER 5 — WHEN SHADOWS MOVE
The SUV stayed two car lengths behind him. Not close enough to be aggressive. Not far enough to be coincidence.Ethan merged smoothly into traffic, posture relaxed, hands steady on the wheel. Speed didn’t change. Breathing didn’t change. Panic was loud, and he had already buried loud things.The encrypted phone vibrated once. Unknown: Confirm tail.Ethan checked the rearview mirror casually, like any bored commuter. Headlights. Same grille. Same patience. Confirmed, he typed.Good. Don’t lose them.Ethan’s lips twitched. So this was the lesson. He turned left at the next light. The SUV followed. Right turn. Followed.Three blocks later, Ethan slowed just enough to let a taxi slide between them. The SUV adjusted instantly. Professional.The city stretched out around him, late-night Lagos energy still alive. Street vendors closing up. Music bleeding from open windows. Neon signs flickering like tired eyes.Ethan didn’t rush. He let the SUV believe it had control. The phone buzzed again.
CHAPTER 4 — WATCHING WITHOUT BEING SEEN
The house hadn’t changed. That was the first thing Ethan noticed. Same porch light flickering like it always had.Same wind chimes Maya insisted were “calming.” Same white curtains that never quite closed all the way. Comfort preserved. Like nothing had happened.Ethan sat in the parked car across the street, engine off, hands resting loosely on the steering wheel. The encrypted phone lay face-up beside him, dark and silent. Observe. Do not engage.He watched Maya move through the living room, phone pressed to her ear, pacing in slow circles. “No, Victor, I don’t care how it looks,” she said, voice faint through the glass. “I want to know where he is.”She stopped pacing. Listened. Scoffed. “Don’t tell me to be patient. He doesn’t just disappear.”Ethan tilted his head slightly. She still believed she mattered enough to be chased. Caleb appeared from the hallway, rubbing his face.He took the phone from her hand.“Victor,” Caleb said, lowering his voice, “look… if he’s gone, isn’t that
You may also like
The understated miraculous Doctor.
Pen thinker 91.5K viewsFrom Darkness to Light: Darwin's Rise
Magical Inspirations75.3K viewsUnknowingly The Billionaire's Heir
Winner Girl78.5K viewsThe Legendary Conglomerate
Lord MOH121.4K viewsThe Ultimate Dominance
Freyed616 viewsThe Campus Guard is a Retired God of War
Christina Wilder516 viewsShattering the Male Lead's Aura as the Ultimate Villain
Chanhlee309 viewsAZRAEL
JESpears876 views