Chapter 61 Chapter 61
I felt the blood drain from my face when Alexander gave the order. His eyes stayed fixed on me with that cold patience that made my skin tighten. He said I would prove my loyalty by eliminating one of Damien’s closest allies, and the room tilted slightly as if the air had shifted. I stood there trying not to show the panic rising inside me because I knew one wrong expression could be mistaken for guilt. My heart pounded so hard I felt each beat in my throat, yet I forced my breathing to stay steady. I told myself I had survived darkness before, and I could survive this too.
Alexander waited for my answer, and the silence pressed against my chest like a weight. I managed a nod that felt stiff and unnatural. His eyes narrowed as if he was studying the movement for hidden meaning. I stepped out of his office as calmly as I could, but the moment I reached the hallway, my legs trembled slightly. I pressed my hand against the wall and inhaled slowly. I could not let him see me break. I walked toward the exit while my mind raced. I knew refusing him would expose me, and once Alexander saw through someone, their life ended quickly. I swallowed the fear and tried to focus on the only option that made sense. I needed to save Damien’s ally without letting Alexander know.
I stepped into the cold air outside and let the wind cool the heat rising under my skin. The city lights flickered across puddles on the street, and I watched the reflections shake every time a car passed. My fingers curled into my coat as I walked quickly, almost running. I knew exactly who Alexander meant. The ally was someone Damien trusted enough to protect me if needed. I could not let that be destroyed. I pulled out my phone and sent a coded message, one simple line we had agreed on for emergencies. I told them to meet me in a quiet location away from Syndicate eyes. The moment I pressed send, a tremor ran through me because I knew this had to work. If anything went wrong, Alexander would come for me next.
When I reached the abandoned lot behind an old warehouse, I waited with my breath held high in my chest. The night carried the smell of rain and dust, and I felt the tension settle into my shoulders. A few minutes later, Damien’s ally stepped out from behind a rusted metal structure. He looked alert and ready for trouble, which told me Damien had trained him well. I walked toward him and kept my voice low. I told him Alexander wanted me to eliminate him, and his expression shifted from confusion to alarm. He asked if I had accepted the mission, and I nodded. I explained that refusing meant death for both of us. He inhaled sharply, then listened while I laid out the only plan that gave us both a chance.
I told him he had to disappear within the next hour. No goodbyes. No messages. Nothing that could be traced. I said I would stage the scene to make it look like he had been taken out cleanly and efficiently. He studied my face carefully, maybe trying to judge if he could trust me with something this dangerous. After a moment, he nodded and said he would go. Relief washed through me so quickly that my knees felt weak. I grabbed his hand and told him to stay alive because Damien needed him. His expression softened with a kind of understanding that made my chest ache. He squeezed my hand once, then turned and vanished into the shadows.
When he was gone, I stood there in the empty lot and let the quiet settle around me. I took a slow breath and
started arranging the scene. I needed to make it look real enough to satisfy Alexander, yet not violent enough to leave any real trace. I scattered debris, tore fabric, and used a small amount of fake blood from a kit Damien’s ally had given me months ago. The red stain looked too bright on the concrete, and I stared at it until my heartbeat steadied. I took photos from angles that matched Syndicate standards and sent them to the number Alexander had given me earlier. My hands shook slightly when I pressed send, but the message went through.
The tension in my chest stayed tight until Alexander replied. His message was short and carried no praise, only acknowledgment. He wrote that the job was done, and I would report to him tomorrow morning. The words sank into me like ice. Alexander rarely praised anyone, yet the lack of suspicion in his reply gave me a moment of breath. I left the lot with quick steps and kept glancing over my shoulder. The city felt different now, sharper and darker, because I had crossed another line that could not be undone.
I walked home with my thoughts swirling like a storm. I thought of Damien and the trust he had placed in me. I thought of the warmth in his voice when he said we would find a way out together. That memory softened something inside me. My feelings for him had grown deeper than I had intended, and the realization both calmed me and frightened me. Loving him made every choice heavier. I knew I could not lose him. I knew I could not let Alexander destroy him. When I reached my apartment, I locked the door behind me and leaned against it. The room felt too quiet, and the silence pushed against my ears.
I sat on my bed and let my thoughts settle. The staged scene had to hold. Damien’s ally had to stay hidden. Alexander had to believe I had followed his orders. For now, everything seemed steady, but deep down, I felt it. Alexander was watching me more closely than I wanted to accept. His suspicion pressed against the back of my neck like a cold fingertip. I lay back and stared at the ceiling while my pulse slowly calmed. I told myself I was still safe. I told myself I had done the right thing. Yet my body stayed tense because trust in this world broke faster than glass.
The next day, I walked into the Syndicate building with slow, controlled steps. My heart thudded with quiet anxiety, but I kept my face calm. Alexander’s door was open, and he looked up when I walked in. His gaze felt like a knife scraping across my skin. He asked me to confirm the elimination. I handed him the photos, and my voice remained steady as I repeated the details. He studied the images with eyes that revealed nothing. After a long silence, he nodded and told me the Syndicate had received the news. He dismissed me with a short order to continue my regular assignments. As I walked out, I felt a strange chill run through me. Something in his expression had changed, even if he tried to hide it.
I left the building and stepped into the afternoon air. My breath felt lighter, yet my stomach stayed tight. I reached home and finally allowed myself to sit down. I thought I had a moment of peace until my phone buzzed. The number on the screen made my chest constrict. I answered and froze when I heard the voice on the other end. It was Victor. His tone was calm, yet unsettling, as he told me he knew about my double-agent role. I felt the blood drain from my face when he said he had an offer that could give me a way out in exchange for betraying Damien.