Linh sat at her desk, the room dim except for the glow of her monitors. Her hands pressed against her temples, brows furrowed deep in thought.
"Something's not right…" she murmured. "Why didn't Darius kill Ethan twelve years ago? He had the chance. So why didn't he take it?"
She leaned back, staring at the ceiling like it might offer answers.
"Bee, hack into Darius's security system. I need to see his surveillance. Anything unusual?"
There was a short hum of processing before Bee replied, voice clear and precise.
"Yes. This footage."
A screen flickered to life, and Linh leaned forward sharply. What she saw made her blood run cold.
A man—tall with long white hair like flowing silk—stood before Darius in a sterile, shadowed room. Darius was yelling, rage on his face, until the white-haired man stepped forward… and with a calm, terrifying ease, sliced Darius's hand clean off.
Linh gasped.
But then—before her eyes—the man touched the wound, and the hand flew back. Healed perfectly. As if nothing had happened.
The audio crackled. The two men spoke, and Linh listened closely. Her eyes widened when she heard a name.
"Duy."
She froze.
"Bee… who's Duy?"
"Unknown. But he has access to advanced regenerative healing abilities. Possibly something beyond biotech… possibly magic."
Linh sat back again, staring blankly.
"Duy knows Ethan. That's clear now. But why? And how… how does he do this?"
Bee remained silent.
"I need to talk to the Council," Linh said, mostly to herself, her voice low and tense. "This changes everything."
⸻
Meanwhile, Ethan's Mercedes cruised through the quiet streets, the city lights flickering across his face as he drove Trang home.
When they reached her place, he shifted the gear to park and turned to her.
"I'll just grab a taxi back to the bar to pick up my car," he said. "Sleep well."
Trang didn't reply right away. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small card.
"Wait," she said, handing it to him. "This is my number."
Ethan took the card, giving it a glance.
"Trang Nguyễn – Auditor," it read.
He chuckled. "Auditing, huh? You actually look like someone who'd be good at it."
Trang tilted her head, amused. "Is that a compliment?"
"If anyone needs an auditor," Ethan said with a grin, "I'll send them your way."
"Thanks," she smiled.
A beat of silence passed between them. Then Trang added softly, "Hey… next week, want to go to the water park? Just for fun?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow, surprised by the suddenness of it. Then a smile tugged at his lips. "Sure. That actually sounds… fun."
Before he could say more, Trang leaned in. Her arms wrapped around him in a gentle hug, and then she kissed him on the cheek.
"Thanks for everything tonight," she said, her voice a whisper close to his ear.
Ethan blinked, a little stunned. "No problem," he said. "I'll head out."
The taxi pulled up. He climbed in, giving her one last look through the window. Trang stood there, waving.
He waved back, the taste of her kiss still lingering on his cheek, her scent in his mind.
As the taxi pulled away, Ethan looked out the window, eyes thoughtful.
Something had changed tonight.
And it wasn't just between him and Trang.