Celina stared at Ivy in disbelief.
Her heart thudded painfully in her chest as the weight of Ivy's words sank in.
Lenora's son.
The one person she'd never considered as an active threat.
But of course, he would come after her. The bloodline, the power, the legacy. Her father's legacy.
Darius's jaw tightened as he stepped between Celina and Ivy, eyes sharp and alert.
"Ivy, how sure are you about this?" Darius asked, his voice a controlled whisper.
"Sure enough," Ivy said, breathless from running. "His name is Cale. He's… colder than Lenora. And he has a reputation for being unpredictable."
Celina felt a cold sweat run down her back. "What do you mean by 'unpredictable'?"
"His methods," Ivy explained, lowering her voice further. "He's not like Lenora. She plans, she schemes. Cale... acts on instinct. On desire. He's manipulative, lethal. No one really knows where his allegiance lies."
Celina's stomach churned. "And I'm his target."
"Not just his target," Darius said, turning back to face her, eyes narrowing with concern. "He's your past. The Protocol. You didn't just escape him—he was part of your father's secret network. The son of the woman who killed your father."
"You knew about him?" Celina's voice cracked with disbelief.
"I knew Lenora had a son," Darius said, "but his role in this wasn't clear until now. He's the reason your father hid you. He's the one who would've unlocked the Talon Protocol's full potential. If he gets to you…" Darius trailed off.
Celina's blood ran cold. "He'll use me."
"Worse," Darius said grimly. "He'll control you. The Protocol's power is more than just memory—it's access. Access to everything. To everything your father built."
Ivy's eyes darkened. "He's coming. And he won't stop until he has the Protocol."
The room fell into an unsettling silence, broken only by the faint hum of the house's surviving power.
"Then we fight," Celina said, her voice steely despite the terror clawing at her chest.
Darius's expression softened, but the sharpness in his gaze never wavered. "No more running. But it won't be easy, Celina. Cale is dangerous. He won't hesitate to use you. He's not the type to give second chances."
"I don't need second chances," Celina snapped, suddenly standing tall, a fierce fire burning in her chest. "I'll fight. Whatever it takes."
Darius moved closer, his gaze softening. "I don't want you to have to fight. I want you to be safe."
Celina froze, unsure of how to react to his words. The sudden tenderness in his tone was a stark contrast to the hard assassin she had come to know. For a moment, his protective side, the one that wanted to shield her from all harm, took her by surprise.
"You can't protect me forever," she said softly.
"No," he agreed, his voice low, "but I'll keep you alive long enough to make sure you do what you need to do."
She couldn't look at him, not when his words hit her so deeply. He cared. He didn't just want to use her. He was in this for her survival.
And yet, his secrets remained.
"What happens when you're gone?" she asked suddenly, her voice trembling despite herself. "What happens when you leave me to fight him alone?"
"I won't leave," Darius said firmly, placing his hand gently on her shoulder. "And I'm not the only one who can protect you."
She looked up at him, but all she saw was the assassin—cool, controlled, unreadable.
She wanted to ask him about his past, about his role in her father's life. She needed answers, more than ever, but the words didn't come.
And then the door slammed open.
A figure stood in the threshold—dark and imposing, like a shadow spilling across the floor. His presence filled the room, suffocating everything in its path.
Celina's breath hitched.
There he was.
The man she had only heard rumors about.
Cale.
He was exactly as Ivy had described—tall, lean, and eerily handsome, his dark hair swept back to reveal sharp, calculating features. His ice-blue eyes locked on Celina the moment he entered, a cold smile curling on his lips.
"Celina." His voice was smooth, unnervingly calm. "I didn't expect you to be this... intriguing."
Darius moved quickly, positioning himself between Cale and Celina, his stance protective, tense.
"Stay away from her, Cale," Darius said, his voice a low growl.
"Oh, I don't think I will." Cale stepped forward, his gaze never leaving Celina. "You see, I'm not here to fight, Darius. I'm here for her."
He reached into his jacket, pulling out a sleek, black device. With a flick of his wrist, a hologram of encrypted data flickered in the air between them—tangled, unreadable code.
Celina's heart skipped. "What is that?"
"The key to everything," Cale said, his voice laced with amusement. "Your father's legacy. And you, Celina, are the missing piece. I'm here to make sure you don't run from your destiny."
Darius took a step toward Cale, his gun at the ready. "Stay the hell away from her."
Cale smirked. "I didn't come here to fight, Darius. I came to make you a proposition."
Celina's eyes narrowed. "A proposition?"
Cale's smile widened, an unsettling glint in his eyes. "You're stronger than you think, Celina. I can help you unlock the full potential of the Talon Protocol. I can show you what your father never had the chance to—what you were always meant to become."
Celina felt her stomach twist. "And what do you want in return?"
Cale's grin grew, sharp and predatory. "Everything. The Protocol. The control. And, of course, your loyalty."
"No." Celina's voice was firm, unwavering. "I'll never give you what you want."
Cale's eyes darkened. He reached out, taking a step closer to her. "Then you'll regret that decision. I'm offering you power. The power your father wanted you to have."
Celina stepped back, her heart pounding in her chest. "I won't be your pawn."
"I didn't think you would be," Cale said, his voice turning cold. "But that's the beauty of it. You're already part of the game, Celina. And the only way to win is to embrace the power that's inside you."
Darius stepped forward, ready to end this confrontation. But Cale raised his hand, his expression calm, calculating.
"You'll see," he said quietly. "Sooner or later, you'll realize we're not so different, you and I."
Before Celina could respond, Cale turned and walked out of the room, his presence lingering like a storm cloud waiting to break.
Darius stood beside her, his body tense. "He's playing games with you."
"I know," Celina said softly, her hand clenched into a fist. "And I'll make sure he doesn't win."