Chapter 4 : The First Lie
405 Words
Elena didn't sleep.
Not because she was afraid.
Fear had long ago stopped controlling her.
It was Lucian's words that refused to leave her mind.
I think you're hiding something, Elena.
The problem wasn't that he was wrong.
The problem was how close he sounded to the truth.
Morning arrived wrapped in gray skies and cold rain.
Elena sat in a small café across from one of Moretti's shipping warehouses, pretending to read a newspaper.
In reality, she was working.
Watching.
Waiting.
The original contract still existed.
Lucian Moretti was still her target.
No matter how dangerous his smile had become.
No matter how curious she found herself whenever he entered a room.
A vibration against her pocket interrupted her thoughts.
A message.
Unknown Number.
Warehouse 17. Right now. Come alone.
Elena frowned.
It wasn't Lucian's number.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Twenty minutes later, she arrived at the warehouse.
The massive building stood abandoned near the harbor.
Silent.
Empty.
A trap.
She knew it immediately.
Unfortunately, she entered anyway.
The moment she stepped inside, movement exploded from the shadows.
Three men.
Armed.
Professional.
Not amateurs.
Elena reacted instantly.
The first attacker barely managed to raise his weapon before she disarmed him.
The second crashed into a stack of crates.
The third landed a punch against her shoulder hard enough to send pain shooting through her arm.
She recovered quickly.
Too quickly for them.
Within moments, all three men were on the ground.
Breathing.
But defeated.
Then a slow clap echoed through the warehouse.
Elena froze.
She recognized the sound before she saw him.
Lucian Moretti stepped from the darkness.
Perfect suit.
Calm expression.
Infuriating confidence.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.
His lips curved slightly.
"Interesting question."
Her pulse accelerated.
Because suddenly she realized something.
The men hadn't been sent to kill her.
They had been sent to test her.
Lucian's eyes drifted briefly toward the unconscious attackers.
Then back to her.
"You fight exceptionally well for an art consultant."
The air between them became dangerously still.
For the first time since meeting him, Elena felt genuine concern.
Because Lucian Moretti wasn't looking at her like a man fascinated by a woman.
He was looking at her like a man assembling pieces of a puzzle.
And she had just handed him another piece.
The first lie had been discovered.
The question was how many more remained before everything collapsed.
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Enjoyy!!!
- Writer
