Shadows of Deception

Elena didn't sleep.

She couldn't.

The image of Adrian—or his doppelgänger—sitting in that club, giving orders like a king ruling his empire, haunted her.

She had spent the night pouring through every file, every report, every hidden document she could find.

There was no mistake.

The Phantom was real. And all signs pointed to Adrian.

But how?

Adrian was kind. Protective. The man who stole her coffee in the mornings just to see her scowl. The man who kissed her forehead after long shifts, whispered promises of forever.

That Adrian wasn't the cold, calculated crime lord she saw last night.

She needed answers.

And she knew exactly where to get them.

Confrontation at Dawn

The sun had barely risen when Elena knocked on Adrian's door.

It took him a moment to answer.

He opened the door, shirtless, rubbing his eyes. "Elena?" His voice was thick with sleep.

She pushed past him, stepping inside.

"Where were you last night?" she asked, her tone sharp.

He blinked, confused. "What?"

"Don't lie to me, Adrian. I saw you."

He frowned. "Elena, what are you talking about?"

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

"I saw you at Solace. In the VIP section. Running the show."

His entire body tensed. Just for a second. But she noticed.

"Elena—"

"Don't. Just tell me the truth."

He looked away, jaw tightening. "I wasn't there."

A lie.

She knew the truth when she heard it. And right now, all she heard was deception.

Her chest ached.

"Then explain why I saw someone who looks exactly like you giving orders like a goddamn kingpin."

Silence.

Then, a slow exhale.

"Elena, you don't understand."

"Then make me understand!" she snapped. "Because right now, I don't know whether I'm in love with a man who's been lying to me or if I've just discovered something I can't unsee."

His eyes darkened. "Do you love me?"

The question knocked the breath out of her.

She had spent so long trying to catch him in a lie that she forgot the most important part.

She loved him.

She had always loved him.

But if he was lying—if he was The Phantom—how could she love him and betray him at the same time?

He stepped closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "Do you love me, Elena?"

She swallowed hard.

"…Yes."

His hand lifted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Then trust me."

She wanted to.

God, she wanted to.

But how could she trust him when everything told her he was the man she had been assigned to take down?