“Oh Kelly, what are you doing up so early?” asked Urs, tossing a box of cereal into his shopping basket.

For one horrifying moment, she thought he had followed her and heard everything. But then she realized his surprise was genuine—and that he wouldn’t have been able to enter the shop unnoticed in the first place.

“Morning run,” she replied, grabbing the first bottle of water off the shelf. “And you? Playing housekeeper?” she asked with a trace of sarcasm, noting how Urs was doing the whole family’s shopping on a Saturday morning.

Urs gave a short laugh, but something was off. He didn’t toss back any teasing remark like he usually would.
They finished shopping quickly. Once outside, she dared to ask:

“Nervous about tonight’s… operation?” she asked cautiously, glancing around—the town was just beginning to wake up and more people were stepping out.

Urs gave a forced chuckle, shaking his head.

“Not nervous exactly… I just like everything planned out, and Ace kind of dropped this job on us out of nowhere,” he admitted, and she saw her opening to probe deeper.

“He didn’t mention anything else about our next ‘adaptation phase’?” she asked, feigning surprise.

“You’ll find out soon enough that Ace is a carpe diem type. He doesn’t care if we’re discovered next week and have to disappear overnight.”

“You always liked structure, so why work for a boss who wings everything?” she asked casually.

They stopped. Maybe the question was too personal. Maybe she had pushed it too far… But Urs just gave her a warm smile and resumed walking.

“Life writes strange scripts. Like us now. I never thought our paths would cross again… especially like this.”

“Yeah… life’s got a twisted sense of humor,” she agreed, rubbing her neck.

This time Urs noticed her sudden shift in mood and flipped the focus.

“So why did you choose this path?”

She avoided eye contact, but he pressed on gently:

“Did you already rob every rich guy in the City and get bored? Or were you just looking for something new?”

“It’s... complicated,” she said carefully. Here she had to walk the thin line between truth and lies—blur the edges without crossing them.

“How about a coffee to help those brain cells?” he offered cheerfully, and before she could decline, he was already dragging her into a café that had opened early.

It felt strange—he bought her coffee, and even stranger, they sat by the window, watching the still-sleepy street.
From the outside, they probably looked like a couple: friends or lovers enjoying a quiet Saturday morning. Kelly hated the illusion, especially in Urs’ company.

She had met him when she and Estheim started hitting districts farther from home. The way they met was rather unusual—Urs had tried to rob them, and they had tried to rob him. When they realized they were in the same line of work, they formed a short-lived partnership. For three months, the trio leveled up their game, targeting the wealthier neighborhoods.

As Ace himself once said: “Nothing bonds people like shared heists.”

“Looks to me like you’re the one more on edge,” Urs said eventually, as they drank their coffee in silence. She glanced at him over the rim of her cup.

“This kind of job is new for me,” she admitted. “I’ve never hit a police convoy before.”

“Hey, new experiences, right?” he grinned, finishing his drink. “I don’t know what role Ace will assign to each of you, but I bet you’ll do fine.”

“I already sweetened my coffee, so stop it,” she shot back.

He laughed—an honest, open sound. Then he set his cup down, leaned forward, and looked at her until she met his gaze.

Her spine stiffened. She gave a tiny nod, dreading what he might say next.

“The apartment we robbed? It belonged to Ace.”

Kelly choked on her coffee, staring at him in disbelief.

“But—”

“Yeah, the place was under someone else’s name, but officially, it was Ace’s. You can imagine how he greeted me when I opened the door and found him standing there—kind of like how he greeted you yesterday. But if not for that, I never would’ve met him. And that was the best thing that could’ve happened to me. You remember what I was like three years ago—drifting from one job to the next without a clue. Ace could’ve called the cops, but instead he offered me a spot on the team. And here I am.”

She must have looked ridiculous—gaping at him, mouth halfway dunked in her coffee. Should she hug him? Throw her drink in his face? 

“So don’t worry,” he finished with a smile. “We’re good.”

She didn’t say anything—because what could she say? And then he reached into the inner pocket of his beige coat and pulled out a small, wrapped bundle.

“Peace offering,” he said with a grin, sliding the item across the table.

Kelly hesitated, then unwrapped it.

The café’s lights glinted off a polished, golden lighter.

Her lighter.

She had lost it during their last job together, dropped it in the middle of an argument. It had rolled under a dresser, and she thought it was gone forever. But here it was—back in her hand.

It wasn’t just a lighter. It was the first thing she had ever stolen, at six years old. Her good luck charm.
She slowly looked up at Urs. Sitting in front of her wasn’t the same guy she remembered—angry, reckless, bitter. That version had been imprisoned by guilt over their last heist. Now he seemed like someone else entirely. A man as unpredictable as spring wind. A man she could turn into either her worst enemy… or a powerful ally.