HIS BLOOD, HER VOW

Morning sunlight streamed through the windows of her apartment. She rose from the bed, feeling an ache deep in her chest. She barely slept. The image of her father haunted her through the night. The photo she had found was too recent to ignore. It was real. But every time she closed her eyes, she saw Miano’s calm, unreadable face. The man she hated was now the only proof that her father might still be alive. She hid the photo under her sleeve and walked out. Later, at the office that day, her train of thoughts kept getting interrupted. Her heart b eat fast every time she thought of her father. Why would Miano have a photo of her dad? She believed he had answers but something about him scared her. He was too calm and unreadable. A knock on the door brought her back to reality. It was Miano. “Lana?” Miano’s deep voice. She froze. “What do you want?”, she said before she she could say “Yes sir” We need to talk, he said. She hesitated, then slowly opened the door. Miano stood there in a dark shirt, his eyes sharper than usual. The dimlight from the hallway cast half his face in shadow. “What did you take from my office?” He asked quietly. Kriela’s heart raced. “You tell me”, she shot back. Shocked at her response, he left the room saying nothing. Kriela, realizing Miano knew something and she had to find out how much he knew. Had he found out her true identity? Did he know whose daughter she was? Was he planning to kill her? She had to rearrange her cards. ``````` Minutes passed. The sound of keyboards clicking filled the silence. Then the elevator doors opened with a soft chime. A tall man in a grey suit stepped out, his movements too smooth to belong to an ordinary employee. Everyone seemed to notice him at once. He walked straight toward Miano’s office. “Mr. De Qanto?” “Yes,” Miano said, standing up. The man handed him a sealed envelope. “From the board. Confidential.” Miano took it without a word. As the man turned to leave, his eyes flicked briefly toward Kriela. There was a strange familiarity in his gaze, almost like he recognized her. Then he smiled faintly and walked out. Kriela’s stomach twisted. Miano tore open the envelope, scanned the contents quickly, and then folded it again. His jaw tightened. Without looking at her, he said, “Clear your schedule for the rest of the day. No calls, no messages.” “Yes, sir.” At lunch, Kriela sat alone in the break room, stirring her coffee absent mindedly. The window beside her showed the city skyline; bright, busy, and loud. But inside the building, everything felt heavy and secretive. Two employees walked in behind her, speaking in hushed voices. “…another audit coming up,” one said. “…they said even the De Qanto accounts are being watched…” “…someone leaked something big…” Kriela pretended not to hear, but her pulse quickened. When she returned to her desk, she found a small folded note beside her keyboard. No one was around. She opened it slowly. “Watch the mirrors.” Her eyes darted to the nearest one,an oval mirror fixed on the wall across from her. For a moment, she saw her reflection staring back. But then, just barely, she caught a flicker. A movement behind her reflection that didn’t exist in the real room. She turned sharply. Nothing. Her skin crawled. Miano’s voice came from behind her. “Something wrong?” She jumped slightly. “No, nothing.” He studied her face for a moment, then nodded and walked away. Kriela sat there, trying to steady her breathing. But as she looked once more at the mirror, she could’ve sworn she saw it again,someone standing behind her reflection. Someone who wasn’t there. The reflection lingered longer this time. A blur of movement ,there, behind her image in the mirror. A shadow that didn’t belong. Kriela’s breath caught. She turned again, scanning the office. Rows of desks. Chairs. Computers. Everyone was busy typing, pretending the world was fine. But she could feel it,the weight of someone’s gaze pressing on her back. She tried to act normal. She adjusted a file, clicked her mouse, and pretended to check emails. Then, with a slow breath, she looked up again, straight into the mirror. The shadow was gone. Her heart pounded hard enough for her to hear it. “Relax,” she whispered under her breath. “You’re imagining things.” But deep down, she knew she wasn’t. Across the office, a security camera blinked red. She hadn’t noticed it before. It was positioned oddly,not facing the main hallway like the others, but turned slightly toward her desk. Kriela frowned. That wasn’t standard. She picked up her phone and pretended to text while opening the camera app. She zoomed in on the security camera. The lens glowed faintly blue. Someone was watching the feed. She put her phone down slowly. Then she heard it,a faint click, like a microphone switching on. Her eyes darted toward Miano’s office. His door was half-closed. Through the glass, she could see him speaking to someone on a secure line, his face tense. But then, something else caught her attention. A man she had never seen before was sitting two desks away, pretending to work. He wasn’t typing. He wasn’t reading either. His eyes, behind his glasses, kept drifting toward her. He noticed her watching and quickly looked down. Her stomach twisted. A sudden notification popped up on her screen. Unknown sender. Subject: LOOK UP. Her fingers froze. Slowly, she lifted her gaze to the top corner of the office wall. A small, black device was wedged behind the air vent, barely visible, but blinking faintly. Another camera. The office wasn’t safe. Kriela stood, pretending to stretch. “Going for coffee,” she said to no one in particular. She walked calmly to the elevator, her heels clicking softly on the marble floor. But her hands were trembling. Every step felt watched. As soon as the elevator doors closed, she exhaled. For the first time in hours, she was alone. Indeed she had to stay vigilant and play her damn cards right! Later that night, Miano’s car convoy was attacked downtown. Three black G-Wagons boxed them in. Kriela was in the passenger seat, sending emails when the first bullet cracked the glass. “Down!” Miano barked, pulling her by the arm. The driver hit the brakes; chaos erupted outside. Gunfire, Screams, Tires screeching. Miano grabbed a pistol from the glove compartment, eyes calm even as bullets rained. “Stay here,” he said firmly. But when one of the gunmen opened the back door, Kriela didn’t think, she kicked him in the balls, skillfully grabbed his g*n, and fired wildly. After the last body dropped, silence fell. Miano looked at her, stunned. “ Where did you learn that from? Who taught you to shoot?” “My father,” she said before her mind processed into reality. His expression changed. “Your father?” he repeated slowly. She forced a laugh. “Yes, he was in the military.” He did not believe her but he didn’t push either. Later, when they were safe and alone, he said quietly, “You saved my life tonight, Lana Russo. I do not forget debts I owe.” She didn’t either. Now, she owed him one. And that, that was now more dangerous.