Ezrin's gaze was sharp as he looked at Kieran."All of these institutions where the researchers worked—there must be a main organization overseeing them. Find it."
Kieran gave a curt nod, already mentally preparing to dig through endless records.
Ezrin's eyes then flicked to Seraphina."Basement. Thirty minutes."A command. No explanation. No room for negotiation.
Seraphina didn't question it, but before she could respond—
"Why are you dressed so differently?"
Kieran's voice was casual, but his smirk held amusement.
Seraphina glanced at him, unimpressed. "I wouldn't be like this if you had sent the message earlier."
Just then, her phone buzzed.
She glanced down. Callum.Callum: Thanks for lunch. Had a good time.
She muttered under her breath. "Late replier."
Kieran, ever observant, didn't miss it. His smirk widened."So, you were on a date?"
Seraphina scoffed. "Why do you care?"
Kieran leaned back slightly, mock ease in his posture. "I don't. Just interesting."
She rolled her eyes and slipped her phone back into her pocket.
What they both missed—was Ezrin's reaction.
His expression remained unreadable, his posture unmoving.Yet his fingers tapped once against the desk.A brief, calculated movement.
By the time Seraphina glanced at him, he was already looking away."Basement. Don't be late."
And with that, the conversation ended.
As Kieran and Seraphina exited, Ezrin remained still, his expression blank.
But his mind? Restless.
"So, you were on a date?""Why do you care?"The words replayed—irritatingly persistent.
He didn't care. Why would he?But somehow, the thought of her with someone else… did nothing good to him.
He shrugged it off. Buried it.And yet, by the time he made his way to the basement, it still lingered.
His frustration grew—not at her, not at Kieran—but at himself.
Seraphina stepped into the ring, rolling her shoulders as she faced Ezrin.
His gaze was unreadable, but something about the way he stood—calculated, rigid—felt different.
She ignored it. This was training.
Ezrin's voice was calm, deliberate. "Your movements are sharp, but your body is still too slow."
He took a step forward. "You rely too much on prediction."
Seraphina raised a brow. "It's effective."
Ezrin's smirk was brief. "Against most people. But a real fight isn't always predictable."
He lifted his hand, signaling her to get ready. "Today, we change that."
Without warning—he moved.
Not an attack. A test.
Seraphina reacted on instinct, dodging as expected, but Ezrin was already adjusting, cutting off her escape.
"Again."
She tried to sidestep—but he was there before she could complete the movement.
A block. A counter. He was faster.
She exhaled sharply. Not frustration—focus.
Ezrin circled her. "You're calculating, but your body isn't keeping up."
Another move. Another block.
"You need to break the habit of over-relying on anticipation."
Seraphina narrowed her eyes, adjusting her stance.
Ezrin moved again—this time, slower. Measured.
"Follow the movement, not the prediction."
Seraphina didn't think—she reacted.
Her body moved before her mind did, dodging the moment Ezrin's weight shifted.
A small smirk played on his lips. "Better."
She didn't need the praise—but she felt it.
And so did he.
Ezrin didn't move.
Instead, he asked, "Why do you hesitate when I come close?"
Seraphina stilled.
"It's just training, isn't it?"
His voice was smooth, controlled—but something sharper lurked beneath it.
Seraphina exhaled slowly, tilting her head. "I don't."
Ezrin's lips curved—not a smirk. Not quite."You do."
She said nothing.
He took one step forward.
She held her ground.
"Prove me wrong, then."
The challenge settled between them.
Her fingers curled slightly at her sides. Her body still—but her mind wasn't.
Ezrin wasn't just testing her reflexes anymore.He was testing something else entirely.
And for the first time—she wasn't sure if she wanted to win.
Seraphina held his gaze but didn't answer.
Not immediately.
Ezrin was too close. His presence settled over her like an unspoken command.
"Prove me wrong, then."
The words hung in the air. A challenge. A trap.
She exhaled slowly, tilting her head—just enough to stretch the moment.
Then, she smirked."I don't have to."
Ezrin's expression didn't change, but his fingers flexed—just once—at his side.
She took one step back. Not in retreat. In control.
"You're the one looking for answers, Holloway. Not me."
Ezrin's jaw ticked. Barely.
Seraphina turned away first, stretching her arms—casual, composed. Untouched.
"Are we finishing training, or are we just standing here talking?"
Ezrin didn't respond immediately.
She could feel his gaze still on her.
"Get back in position."His voice was even. Unreadable. Not fooled.
She smirked, rolling her shoulders. "Yes, sir."
And just like that, the moment passed.
But not forgotten. Not even close.
Ezrin let it go—for now.
But as the training continued, he was still thinking about it.
Because she hadn't answered.And that meant—there was something worth answering.
Ezrin moved first—sharper, more aggressive than before.
She barely dodged, twisting at the last second, but he was already there, cutting her off.
A block. A counter. Too close again.
Her back almost brushed his chest, and before she could adjust, his hand caught her wrist—steadying her. Grounding her.
Seraphina froze for half a second, the heat of his grip lingering against her skin.
"You hesitated again," Ezrin murmured.
She exhaled sharply, twisting out of his hold. But he let go too slowly.
She went on the offense—quick, controlled.
A strike to his ribs. He caught it easily.
Her free hand moved to push him back—but his other hand closed around her forearm, stopping her mid-motion.
The silence stretched. Longer than necessary.
Then—he let go.
"Enough for tonight."
Seraphina didn't question it.
Because for the first time—Ezrin was the one who ended it first.
Later, Seraphina sat in her chair, fingers tapping lightly against the desk.
Her body ached from training—but that wasn't what kept her awake.
It was something else.
Ezrin's words echoed in her mind."Why do you hesitate when I come close?"
Her instinct was to deny it. To push it away like always.
But this time… she didn't.
Because he wasn't wrong.
Her brows furrowed. Why did she hesitate?
It wasn't discomfort. Not even close.
She replayed the training session—every time he caught her wrist, steadied her shoulder, moved too close.
His touch had never felt threatening. It had felt…
Seraphina inhaled sharply, sitting up straighter.
No.
She didn't like where that thought was going.
But the realization settled in anyway.
She liked it.
Her jaw clenched. Unacceptable.
She grabbed the nearest file, flipping through pages—forcing herself to focus.
But the thought had already rooted itself.
She couldn't ignore it now.And that infuriated her the most.
Kieran leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, watching Ezrin with thinly veiled amusement.
"You pushed her harder today." His tone was light, but his smirk was sharp. Knowing.
Ezrin didn't look up from his laptop. "She needed it."
Kieran scoffed. "Right. And that had nothing to do with the fact she was on a date, huh?"
Ezrin's fingers paused—just for a fraction of a second—before resuming.
Kieran caught it."Interesting."
Ezrin finally glanced up, expression unreadable. "You talk too much."
Kieran grinned. "And you're avoiding the question."
Ezrin exhaled slowly, leaning back. "It was just training."
"Sure," Kieran dragged out the word. "Because it looked like something else entirely."
Ezrin's gaze darkened. "Drop it."
Kieran raised his hands in mock surrender, still smirking."If you say so, boss."
But they both knew—Ezrin wasn't as unaffected as he pretended to be.
The office was silent, save for the faint hum of the city.
Ezrin sat motionless at his desk.
He should have been working. Thinking about the case.
But instead—
Kieran's words replayed."You pushed her harder today. Was it because she was on a date?"
Ezrin leaned back, exhaling slowly.It wasn't because of that.Was it?
His fingers tapped against the desk once. A tell.
He closed his eyes briefly, recalling the training.The way she moved.The way her breath hitched when he got too close.The way his patience frayed when she smirked like she knew exactly what she was doing.
His jaw tightened.
This wasn't important.And yet—he thought about it longer than he should have.
When he opened his eyes, they were sharper. Controlled.
He wouldn't entertain this distraction.
And yet—It already mattered.
Seraphina exhaled sharply, forcing her mind back to the files in front of her.
No time for distractions.
And yet—her thoughts kept drifting.
Ezrin. His words. His touch.
Her jaw clenched, fingers tightening around the page.
Enough.
Then—her phone buzzed.
She groaned. Not again.
She grabbed it and glanced at the screen.
Two names. Lena and Callum.
Seraphina sighed, opening Lena's messages first.
Lena: I'll be staying in my hometown for a couple of days. Don't go missing on me.Lena: Also, don't let your boss kill you with training.
Seraphina smirked slightly and replied:
Seraphina: Surviving. No promises, though.
Then, she opened Callum's chat.
Her eyes narrowed. What was he even—
Callum: Why did the spy break up with his girlfriend?Callum: Because she kept following him.
She huffed a laugh, shaking her head.
Callum: If I ever disappear, just assume I've been recruited for a top-secret mission.Callum: Or I just lost my phone.
She bit her lip, holding back a chuckle.
The jokes were dumb—but they worked. They distracted her.
Seraphina: Your humor is concerning.Callum: But effective?
She scrolled through their conversation, a quiet smirk tugging at her lips.
She wasn't laughing out loud, but her amusement was clear—a flicker of rare, genuine expression.
At that moment, Ezrin stepped out of his office.
His gaze landed on her—not on the screen, but on her.
The curve of her lips. The ease in her posture. The way her fingers moved across her phone.
It was subtle. But he noticed.
And without thinking, his mind jumped to a conclusion.
The guy from the date.
His jaw tightened—a reaction he didn't examine.
He said nothing. Simply turned and walked away, expression unreadable.
Seraphina, still lost in her conversation, didn't notice him.
But the thought?
It stayed with him.
Longer than it should have.