Midnight at Solace

The clock struck 11:57 PM as Elena stepped out of her car.

The neon lights of Solace flickered above her, painting the empty streets with hues of blue and violet. The nightclub was closed for the night, but one door remained slightly ajar.

Adrian was waiting.

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she adjusted the gun holster beneath her leather jacket. She had chosen caution over trust tonight.

As she stepped inside, the familiar scent of expensive liquor and faint cigar smoke filled the air. The club was eerily silent, the usual music replaced by a heavy stillness.

Then, she saw him.

Adrian stood near the bar, his posture relaxed—but she knew better.

He was watching her. Studying her.

"Elena," he greeted, voice steady.

She didn't respond.

Instead, she slowly walked forward, keeping her expression unreadable.

Adrian exhaled as if preparing himself. "You have questions."

Her fingers twitched. "And you have answers."

He gave a small, tired smile. "Not the ones you're expecting."

Elena stopped a few feet away. She wanted to believe him, wanted to reach out and demand an explanation.

But then she remembered the death certificate.

The alias.

The fact that Liam Cross was supposed to be the only one alive.

She met his gaze. "Are you Adrian Cross?"

A flicker of something—hesitation.

Then, "Yes."

She swallowed hard. "Then why does every record say Adrian Cross died five years ago?"

Silence.

Adrian exhaled, running a hand through his hair. His jaw clenched, and for the first time, she saw it—

Guilt.

He stepped closer, and she let him.

"Elena," he said softly, "you need to understand—some truths are dangerous. Knowing them won't change anything."

She stared at him. "You're asking me to look the other way?"

A bitter chuckle escaped him. "I'm asking you to trust me."

She almost laughed at the irony.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

Her breath caught. Did she?

She wanted to.

But trust and truth weren't the same thing.

"Tell me everything," she whispered. "Or I walk away."

A heavy silence settled between them.

Then—Adrian reached into his pocket and tossed something onto the bar.

A USB drive.

"Take it," he said, his voice quieter now. "It'll give you the answers you're looking for."

Elena hesitated, then picked it up.

As soon as she did—

The windows shattered.

Gunfire erupted, glass spraying across the room as Elena instinctively ducked behind the bar.

Adrian moved fast, knocking over a table for cover before pulling out a gun.

"Elena!" he called.

She crouched, gripping her own weapon. "Who the hell—"

More shots.

A voice echoed through the club.

"Come out, Cross!"

Elena froze.

They weren't after her.

They were after him.

Her mind spun—was this Liam's doing? The authorities? Another enemy?

Adrian's gaze met hers from across the room.

He wasn't surprised.

"Elena," he said, urgency lacing his tone. "We have to move. Now."

She didn't hesitate.

Gripping the USB drive tight, she followed the man she was supposed to be hunting.

And for the first time—she didn't know which side she was on.