Chapter 40: Confrontation

She shook her head, the disbelief creeping into her voice. "Then why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me the truth? About your past—about who you really are?"

He flinched at her words, as though they cut deeper than anything she could imagine. His eyes softened, but the regret in them was unmistakable. "I tried to protect you," he said quietly. "I thought if you knew the truth, you'd leave. And I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."

Mia swallowed hard, the tension between them palpable. She wanted to believe him. She needed to believe him. But Veronica's words echoed in her mind: He's one of them. He's been with the Syndicate all along.

"Why did you leave, Ethan?" she asked, her voice trembling now. "Why did you walk away if you weren't trying to run from them? What changed? And why is Veronica so convinced you're still part of it all?"

He hesitated for a moment, his eyes dark with the weight of something unsaid. Then, in a voice that was barely above a whisper, he spoke.

"I was born into it," he said. "The Syndicate is all I've ever known. But I never wanted to be like them. I wanted out. I wanted to be free. So, I made a choice. I walked away."

His words felt like a confession, a release of all the guilt he'd been carrying. "But they don't let you go that easily. When I left, they watched me. They kept tabs on me. And when they found out I was getting close to you, Mia… that's when everything changed. That's when they started coming for you."

Mia felt a chill run down her spine. She could barely comprehend the magnitude of what he was saying. 

"So, they knew? They knew about me?"

"Yes." Ethan's voice was thick with regret. "They knew you were the one thing I would protect at all costs. They've been using me—manipulating me, even after I left. And they won't stop until they get the box back."

"The box," Mia repeated, her mind racing. The black box she'd been holding felt heavier now, its significance much clearer. She could feel the truth in Ethan's words, but the betrayal still stung. "What is this? What's inside it?"

 Ethan's gaze flickered to the box, then back to her. "It's the key to everything, Mia. The Syndicate wants it because it holds something far more valuable than just money or power. Whoever controls it, controls the Syndicate, its entire network. The people in charge—they've been looking for it for years. But Veronica…" 

He hesitated, his voice lowering. "Veronica knew exactly what it was. And she wanted it for herself."

Mia's breath caught. "What do you mean? Veronica wanted to take control of the Syndicate?"

Ethan's eyes hardened. "Yes. And she thought she could use you to get it. She wanted to manipulate you into thinking I was still part of it. But it's all a game to her. She's been playing us both."