Quiet swallowed the warehouse once the alarm's beep faded.

Aria stood still, eyes fixed on the monitor by her front door.

Two men standing there.

A figure stepped out - same face I’d seen near the cars underground.

The other…Kael’s uncle.

Her chest tightened.

Aria: “They found my house.”

Ice crept into Kael's stare.

Dangerously calm.

The moment passed and he took hold of the car keys without delay.

Kael: “We’re leaving.”

Aria moved fast behind his steps.

Aria: “My brother is alone there.”

Out came the group in a hurry from the storage building.

Water kept pouring down.

Engine roaring right after they settled inside, that was Kael's move.

Out came the car, rushing forward where nobody was. It raced ahead on a stretch with nothing around.

________________________________________

Inside the Car

Aria kept staring at her phone.

No new messages.

No calls.

Fear climbed higher inside her with each passing moment.

Aria: “What if they hurt him?”

His eyes flicked toward her for a moment.

Kael: “They won’t.”

Aria: “How do you know?”

Kael kept his eyes on the path ahead.

Kael: “Because they want leverage.”

Aria frowned.

Aria: “Leverage?”

Kael nodded.

Kael: “You.”

Her stomach dropped.

Stillness crept back inside the vehicle. Quiet settled once more between them.

Falling water thickened in the air.

Out of nowhere, Aria voiced the thought she’d held onto for days.

Aria: “Kael…”

His eyes met hers for just a moment.

Aria: “How long has this been going on?”

Kael: “What?”

Aria: “The fight with your uncle.”

Kael hesitated.

Then answered quietly.

Kael: “Five years.”

Aria blinked.

Aria: “Five years?!”

Kael nodded.

Kael: “He tried to destroy Orion when my father died.”

Aria frowned.

Aria: “Your father owned Orion?”

Kael nodded again.

Kael: “Originally.”

Pieces clicked into place for Aria, one by one. The realization crept in without hurry.

Aria: “So your uncle tried to take it.”

Kael: “And I stopped him.”

Aria folded her arms tightly across her chest.

Aria: “You mean you secretly bought majority shares and pretended to be just a CEO.”

Kael smirked slightly.

Kael: “Something like that.”

Aria moved her head from side to side. She refused without speaking.

Aria: “You’re insane.”

Kael: “Effective.”

That left no room for debate.

Out of nowhere, a new idea came to mind.

Her eyes narrowed.

Aria: “Wait.”

Her eyes met Kael's for a moment. Then he looked away.

Aria: “What?”

Aria: “How did your uncle know about me?”

Fingers drummed on the table while Kael stayed silent. A pause stretched out before any words came.

Odd how quiet it got all of a sudden.

Very suspicious.

Her eyes stayed fixed on his face.

Aria: “Kael.”

He sighed quietly.

Kael: “I’ve been monitoring the company closely.”

Aria: “That’s not what I asked.”

Another silence.

Out of nowhere, he let go of a surprise. He confessed it straight, no warning.

Kael: “I noticed you before you even joined Orion.”

Aria blinked.

Aria: “…What?”

Kael kept driving.

Kael: “You applied six months ago.”

Her confusion deepened.

Aria: “So?”

Kael: “Your interview file stood out.”

Her eyes locked onto his face. Stillness filled the space between them.

Aria: “You read employee interview files?”

Kael shrugged.

Kael: “I read everything.”

Aria moved her head from side to side, slow at first, then quicker.

Aria: “That’s mildly terrifying.”

Kael smirked slightly.

Kael: “You challenged the interviewer.”

Aria: “He was wrong!”

Kael: “Exactly.”

Aria blinked again.

Aria: “Wait…”

Something shifted in her gaze, then - pupils stretching like dusk opening into night.

Aria: “You hired me?”

He just let the truth sit there without arguing.

Aria gasped.

Aria: “You hired me?!”

Kael: “Yes.”

Aria: “And then you pretended not to know me!”

Kael shrugged again.

Kael: “I wanted to observe you.”

Aria stood frozen, eyes wide. Shock settled deep in her chest. The moment hung heavy, refusing to pass.

Aria: “You’ve been observing me?!”

A faint curve tugged at his lips, though he fought it. Still, the corners stayed stubborn.

Kael: “You’re very entertaining.”

Aria groaned loudly.

Aria: “This job is a trap.”

Kael laughed quietly.

Out of nowhere, the tightness began to ease - the moment after the alarm had screamed.

Yet just briefly.

Bells clanged inside her pocket just then. The screen lit up without warning.

One stood still. The other did too.

Her eyes moved toward the screen.

Unknown number.

Her heart started racing.

Aria: “…It’s not my brother.”

Kael nodded.

Kael: “Answer it.”

She hesitated.

After that, the button got pushed.

Aria: “Hello?”

A quiet reply came through.

Too calm.

Uncle: “Good evening, Aria.”

A chill cut through her veins. The warmth drained fast. Her breath caught sharp. Fear settled deep. Silence pressed close.

Fingers of Kael clenched hard around the wheel's edge.

Her breath caught, yet she pushed the words out slow. A quiet strength held the tremble back.

Aria: “What do you want?”

A quiet laugh came from the uncle.

Uncle: “You caused quite a disturbance today.”

Aria clenched her jaw.

Aria: “Where is my brother?”

Folding his arms, the uncle let out a heavy sigh.

Uncle: “He’s perfectly safe.”

Aria’s heart pounded.

Aria: “Put him on the phone.”

A pause.

Out of nowhere, sound of her brother filled the room.

Rohan: “Aria?!”

Relief flooded her.

Aria: “Rohan are you okay?”

Rohan: Out of nowhere they appeared and - Then the phone got pulled away.

The sound of the uncle came back.

Uncle: “See? Completely unharmed.”

Aria’s hands shook.

Aria: “If you hurt him -”

A quiet moment passed before the uncle spoke up.

Uncle: “Oh I won’t.”

His voice dropped then.

More dangerous.

Uncle: “Unless you make me.”

Aria looked at Kael.

Beyond the quiet, Kael saw it unfold. What arrived next held no surprise.

Aria: “What do you want?”

A grin tugged at his voice across the line.

Uncle: “I want you to meet me.”

Aria frowned.

Aria: “Why?”

Uncle: “Because I believe you and I can come to an arrangement.”

Right away, Kael moved his head from side to side. Then he stopped.

She shook her head without a sound.

Aria ignored him.

Aria: “What kind of arrangement?”

Foolish quiet filled his voice when he replied.

Uncle: “You help me take Orion…”

For a moment, everything stopped.

Softly, he spoke next -

Uncle: “…and your brother walks away.”

Aria’s heart stopped.

Feet hit the pedal hard. The vehicle stopped fast.

Footprints slid sideways where tires lost grip.

The moment she let go; he took the phone. Suddenly it was gone - already in his grip.

Frost filled his words. A chill ran through each syllable he spoke. Sharp. Quiet. Unmoving.

Kael: “Touch her family again and I swear -” The uncle laughed.

Uncle: “Relax, Kael.”

That moment, he spoke slower. His words grew heavy.

Uncle: “You have twenty-four hours.”

The call ended.

Fog pressed against the windows. A clock ticked once, then stopped.

Aria stared ahead.

Still sorting through it all.

Then she whispered -

Aria: “He’s forcing me to betray you.”

Kael turned his eyes toward her.

His expression unreadable.

Kael: “Yeah.”

Suddenly facing his direction, Aria moved with quiet slowness.

Aria: “So, what do we do?”

Kael’s eyes hardened.

For once, a flicker of real concern crossed his face.

Kael: “That’s the problem.”

He paused.

Then said quietly -

Kael: “I don’t know.”