Chapter 13

Lily walked out of Monroe's office with her mind racing. She barely heard Noah's footsteps behind her as they stepped into the elevator, the doors sliding shut with a soft hiss.

Then—

"What the hell are you thinking?"

Noah's voice was low but sharp, his frustration barely contained. He turned to face her, his eyes blazing. "You just agreed to work for James Monroe, Lily. Do you even realize what you just signed up for?"

Lily exhaled slowly, pressing her fingers against her temples. "I didn't have a choice."

Noah scoffed. "Of course, you had a choice. You could've walked away."

She turned to him, her expression hard. "And then what? Leave without answers? Pretend none of this ever happened?"

Noah clenched his jaw. "You think Monroe is going to give you answers? He's using you, Lily. And now you're stuck in his game."

She knew he was right—at least, partially. Monroe wasn't the type to offer help out of kindness. But she also knew that walking away meant staying in the dark.

"I have to do this," she said firmly. "If there's even a chance he knows the truth about my father, I need to take it."

Noah ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "Fine. But I'm not letting you do this alone."

Lily met his gaze, surprised by the determination in his eyes. "Noah—"

"I mean it," he interrupted. "Whatever Monroe has planned, I'm in. I'm not letting you walk into this alone."

The elevator doors opened with a soft chime, and they stepped into the lobby. Lily's heart was still racing, but Noah's words grounded her.

If she was going to do this, at least she wouldn't be doing it alone.

---

That night, Lily sat at the small table in her apartment, staring at the file Monroe had given her.

Victor Langley.

A former stockbroker turned informant, currently working with one of Monroe's rivals. His last known location was a high-end bar downtown—a place where criminals, informants, and people with secrets all seemed to gather.

Lily closed the file and exhaled. This is it.

Noah sat across from her, arms crossed. "So, what's the plan?"

She hesitated before answering. "I get close to Langley. Earn his trust. Make him talk."

Noah frowned. "And then what?"

Lily swallowed. That was the part she didn't have an answer for. Monroe hadn't said what would happen once she got the information. But she had a feeling it wouldn't be good for Langley.

"I'll figure it out," she said.

Noah shook his head. "This is a bad idea."

"Probably," she admitted. "But I have to do it anyway."

A tense silence stretched between them before Noah sighed, rubbing his temples. "Then I'm going with you."

Lily blinked. "Noah—"

"I'm not arguing," he said firmly. "If you're doing this, I'm not letting you do it alone."

She held his gaze for a long moment before nodding.

"Alright," she said. "Let's do this."