"We will finish this mission together," Kail said, his voice dropping to a low, intimate register. "I promise. You'll return to your family with your head held high."
Kail leaned in closer, his presence overwhelming.
In Silvia's mind: Why is he so close? My face feels like it's on fire... and my heart won't stop racing!
"Your face looks funny," Kail suddenly chuckled, breaking the tension. "Hahaha!"
"Eh?!" Silvia snapped back to her senses, pushing him away slightly. "Don't laugh at me, Tiger! I'm a professional, not a comedian!"
"Okay, okay... I'm sorry," he said, though his eyes were still dancing with amusement.
The Villain's Lair
"Damn it!" Chris roared, sweeping a crystal decanter off his desk. "Who dared to sneak into my casino? What do they want from me?!"
"You were so cocky yesterday," Gilbert said, limping into the room with his arm still in a sling. "What happened to that confidence now?"
Chris turned on him, his eyes bloodshot with rage. "If you came here just to get on my nerves, Gilbert, you should say your last words. You're about to become the victim of my anger."
"Your anger won't bring the Professor back," Gilbert countered coolly. "Kill me, and you lose your last chance to fix this mess."
"What do you mean?"
Gilbert reached into his pocket and slid a surveillance photo onto the table. Chris snatched it up, his breath hitching.
"Her..." Chris hissed. "She was the one. She called herself Stella."
"Stella?" Gilbert laughed harshly. "Her real name is Silvia Johnson. She's the daughter of a General and the deadliest 'Military Killer' they have. She's the one who wiped the data from our main base... and she's the one carrying the backup on that flash drive."
Chris gripped the edge of the table so hard his knuckles turned white. "I had her in my hands. I almost killed her... if I had only known sooner, I would have finished the job."
"Regret is useless," Gilbert said, leaning in. "But I have a plan. A way to draw them both out. Listen..."
Night at the Mansion
"I'm so thirsty..." Silvia muttered, tossing and turning in the oversized guest bed. She reached for the water on her nightstand, but the decanter was empty.
She sighed, wrapped herself in a silk robe, and headed down to the first floor. The house was shrouded in darkness, but she didn't turn on the lights; her eyes were well-trained for the shadows.
As she reached the kitchen, she sensed a presence.
"Eh?! Oh... it's you."
Kail was standing by the window, a silhouette against the moonlight. "Yes. What's wrong?"
"Just wanted some water," Silvia said, her heart doing a strange little skip. She filled a glass and drank it quickly, trying to ignore how focused his gaze was on her. "Weren't you sleeping?"
"There are things I have to do," Kail replied vaguely. "Orders to write. Strategies to fix."
"Can I help?" Silvia asked, stepping closer. "I don't feel sleepy at all."
Kail didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took her hand. His skin was warm against hers. He leaned down, and for a second, Silvia thought he might kiss her, but he gently pressed his lips to the back of her hand instead.
"I'd be glad for your help, Silvia," he whispered, "but I'm almost done. You need your strength for what's coming."
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. "Erm... okay... then," Silvia stammered, gently pulling her hand away. "I'll go back to my room. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Silvia."
She practically ran up the stairs. That was dangerous, she thought, pressing her cool hands to her burning cheeks. Way more dangerous than a gunfight.
The next morning, Silvia felt remarkably better. Her wounds were itching—a sign they were healing fast.
"I can't just sit here," she muttered, changing into a fresh set of clothes. "I need to do something."
She walked into the hallway just as Kail was heading for the front door, looking sharp in his full military uniform.
"Kail! Where are you going?"
"To the base," he said without turning around. "There are things I need to finalize."
"I'm going with you!"
"No," he said firmly. "Stay here. It's the only place Chris and Gilbert can't reach you. I'll be back soon."
Silvia watched him leave, her brows furrowed. "Something feels wrong. He's being too protective."
She knew there were no cameras in his private study. It was the one place he kept his most sensitive files. Driven by a gut feeling, Silvia slipped into the office.
The room smelled of coffee and old paper. She began to scan the desk. Most of it was standard military intelligence, but then, her eyes caught a folder tucked half-hidden under a stack of maps.
She pulled it out and opened it. Her breath hitched.
Inside were surveillance photos—not of Dragon K5, but of her. Photos of her as Silvia, photos of her as Erina, and a detailed medical report about the "soul transfer" theory they had discussed. But at the bottom was a document with a red seal that made her blood run cold.
"This is...!" Silvia whispered, her eyes widening. "Kail... what have you been hiding from me?"
~ to be continued