Peace To Fear.

Life should have stayed as peaceful as it had been. A wonderful home, a growing career and bright future, a relationship that felt sure– Everything in her life seemed to be falling into place. Like the pieces of an overdue puzzle finally being finished, after so long of putting the wrong pieces together.

That puzzle would never be finished, she should have known that. Perhaps in the back of her mind she wished to keep the lingering doubt at bay.

If it was true, he was the enemy now. No longer perfect in every way to her eyes, unable to give him kisses that had their lips intertwining longer than she expected. Walks outside of the office together, dates sarce in their schedule that meant everything to her after tiring days. Silent moments that were comforting, love making that pulled her deeper into his being– Into his soul.

Everything was washed away, replaced with uncertainty. Amelia's life had become one sick, cruel joke.

No possible good could outweigh the bad. Being young was not an excuse for falling in the same trap again, only years later. The events that had happened with Jake Parker had begun once more. Another man she trusted, another man she thought she loved.

Amelia loved him, she had loved both at one time or another. That was her flaw, love given to men who didn't deserve it. Although flawed, broken, she gave them her all. Only in return to fee; despair, loneliness, and danger lurking around every corner.

Who knew a photograph could carry so much weight in her hands, and her heart all at once.

She places it back on top of the fireplace, sighing when she picks up the blanket. Wrapping it

around her shoulders once more, Amelia takes a seat in one of the arm chairs. Hands pressed against her cheeks, trying to still process everything she had been told.

Dallas ordered his brother to be killed.

There's a creek where the door hinges.

Dallas had met with her ex lover, Jake Parker. The man he swore to get rid of with her.

Amelia could feel the air brushing through an open door. The hairs rising on the back of her neck.

Dallas had killed his parents in a deadly fire, at ten years old. Dallas was dangerous, what could he be possibly thinking when it came to her?

She turns to look at the direction of the change of atmosphere, to lay her eyes on the man running rampant in her thoughts. Just the sight of him has her heart racing, her chest tightening more than it had before. When their gaze meet, his familiar smile graces his lips. Placing down his briefcase, pulling his coat off of his shoulders.

"How's the rest day, little agent?" Dallas speaks casually to her, slightly unbuttoning his button up. "I'm sure it was well needed, and of course well deserved." His eyes meet with hers once more, glowing with warmth.

There was no sign of any change in his stare. Always the same, always so warm and caring. His body language, his mannerisms, even the way he spoke was exactly the same. Amelia couldn't help but analyze his every move, wishing to deny the words she had been told. Dallas had to be a good man.

For once, she had to have chosen a good man.

Amelia clears her throat grabbing onto the coffee cup her father had sipped from, trying her best to look comfortable on the couch. "One last day until being back in the agency, I'm going to enjoy it like it's the last." Her voice holds steady despite her nerves rattling.

Dallas chuckles, walking over to her and gently placing a kiss on top of her head. That once endearing feeling of his lips had turned fear inducing. Feeling his hands so casually hold on her chin as his lips pressed against the silk of her hair.

He was different and yet felt entirely the same. Amelia didn't know what to do, for the first time in years. They had connected their souls together only a night ago, promising forever and a day to one another.

"I have some paperwork to do, but I will be back out to be with you as soon as it is all finished." Dallas ruffles her hair, before walking away and disappearing into the hallway.

His footsteps echo in her ears, until there's silence. A darkness looming over the room, even as the sun basked in all of its glory through the windows. The world continued on, Amelia's world came to a crashing halt.

Sat wrapped in a blanket that gave no warmth, no sense of comfort. Nothing could, now that her entire world had been flipped upside down in just an instant. All of the good things she had worked hard for, hoped and prayed for– Gone in just the snap of fingers.

There was nothing good in this world now, everything was destined to be torn from her when she had gotten too comfortable.

Karma, that's what it appeared to be. Long awaited in anticipation, finally hitting where it hurt the most. First death, followed by betrayal and destruction.

Amelia knew her own death awaited her, perhaps sooner than she had hoped for. If the Grim Reaper was ready to take her in his arms, then so be it. What could get any worse than living in a world that only revolved around the suffering of others?

Losing another piece of herself, another reason to give up hope of things ever changing. Happiness, that was just never in her deck of cards. A deck filled with nothing but foul, laughing jokers.

12:00 PM (GMT8)

Hours had passed, four long drilling hours. Sat in the same armchair with her laptop on her lap, legs crossed under her. Case files placed next to her, sprawled across the table with haste. All the while the laptop screen showed documents of orderly fashion on the files, multiple pages already done in a short period of time.

All she could try to do is finish the tasks at hand without coming off as anything other than normal.

Yet he sat a few feet from her in the same sort of armchair. Phone in one hand, a cup of tea in the other. The steam rising from the liquid as he brought it to his lips. The television goes off in the background, spouting news of the crimes and horrors around the world. Focus was the opposite of the world entirely, it was on her own little piece.

The words on her screen seem to jumble together as she stares blankly at it. Not able to focus on the normal tasks she did so quickly before. The situation at hand refused to leave her mind, as much as she wished it would. Amelia sat there, watching as letters moved along the screen in erratic orders. Rearranging, forming into different words.

He's looking at you.

"Amelia.. You've been zoning out for the last few minutes. Is everything alright?" His voice snaps her out of her trance, eyes widening to look in his direction. There's a moment before she looks back at the screen. The words being as they once were, nothing changed in the slightest.

Amelia was losing it, her mind was playing games with her. Tricking her into seeing things that were not there out of fear.

She nods, rolling her shoulders back to begin typing on her keyboard. "I'm fine Dallas, thank you for asking."

The feeling of her throat closing was obvious. Her jaw clenching after the words left her lips, under the sound of clicking keys. Amelia worried greatly that it would be noticeable, that he would point out one difference in her movements.

"Amelia.. Are you sure? You seem very.. Distance from me?"

He noticed, he knows.

Amelia shakes her head, letting off a stiff chuckle. "What? Of course not, I'm just worried about all of these case files I now have to sort through." She gestures to the table covered in folders. "Seeing I'm going back to the agency tomorrow morning, I need to atleast have a basis on all of them."

Her entire body felt frozen, even as her lips moved to give a calm answer to her lover. Both of their eyes meet one another, holding a stare for a few moments. It's not until the man's lips curl into a smile that she feels a wave of relief wash over her.

"I just want to make sure my love, if there is anything bothering you please let me–" Before his sentence is finished there's a hard knock at the door. Amelia's head swinging at the direction of the sound.

On instinct, both parties stand– Amelia looking back to give him a reassuring look. If it was her father, she would not want him to have to come face to face with Dallas. It could be anyone else, but not her father.

"I'll get it, don't worry please." With her words Dallas nods, sitting back down and picking his phone up once more. Amelia turned on her heels to the door, opening it only a sliver to see who was on the other side.

There stood Brenden, in all of his glory. Six foot three, ginger like hair. Eyes of light autumn leaves mixed with hints of mountain dew grass. Dressed to his best with all black attire. At the sight of one another, the other's eyes widen. One in surprise, the other in joy.

Amelia looks back at Dallas, clearing her throat. "It's a package, I'll go outside to sign for it."

"Just be careful, Amelia."

Amelia quickly opens the door fully, sliding out to close it behind her. It only takes a moment before the two are smiling at each other, colliding into a long overdue embrace. The warmth of someone familiar was a blessing in disguise. Even with Brenden's past mistakes, her father trusted him– Amelia would do so for now.

"Brenden, it's been years." Amelia sighs, pulling back from the embrace to face him. Even in his late forties he still looked as young as ever.

The older man lets out a light chuckle. " I'm so happy to see you, Amelia, but I have not much time." A carefree atmosphere turns tense, Brenden looking around their surroundings– Waiting to see if anyone else was listening. "Your father told me of his visit. I'm sure you know the information I gathered."

How could she forget that information, it was the only thing she could think about.

She nods, Brenden continues to speak. "I tried to jail Dallas for it, but the evidence had gone missing and I couldn't take him to trial."

"It went missing? Do you think someone stole it?"

Amelia knew well exactly who had, if all of this was as true as it seemed.