Chapter 45: The Final Move

Ethan stood nearby, his eyes scanning the unconscious man with a cold, calculating look. His chest heaved with exertion, his knuckles white from the pressure he had applied to the attacker's throat just moments ago. But even as he stood there, his body tense, there was something more in his eyes—something that told Mia he wasn't done yet. He wasn't done protecting her, and he wasn't done running.

"Are you okay?" Ethan asked, his voice softening as he turned toward her. His eyes softened as he took in the look of shock still frozen on her face.

Mia swallowed hard, her fingers trembling as she clutched the black box tighter in her hands. The weight of it, the mysterious power it held—it was all too much. She wanted to scream, to question everything she'd just learned, but instead, she simply nodded.

 "I'm fine," she said, though the shakiness in her voice betrayed her. "But we need to get out of here. They'll be coming for us."

Ethan's jaw clenched, but there was a flicker of agreement in his eyes. "I know. We can't stay here. But before we go..."

He paused, his gaze flicking over the unconscious man. There was something else in his eyes now—an urgency that Mia hadn't seen before.

"The black box," Ethan said, his voice low. "You know what it holds, don't you?"

Mia's fingers tightened around the box. The black box was heavy with significance, and she could feel its weight in the pit of her stomach. She had to know. She had to understand what was inside it and why everyone—Veronica, the Syndicate, and even this stranger—was willing to kill for it.

"I don't know," Mia admitted, her voice almost a whisper. "But I think it's the key to everything. It's why they're all after us."

Ethan nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing as he approached her. "It's not just a key. It's a weapon. Whoever controls it controls more than just money and power—they control the entire network of the Syndicate. And that's why I've been trying to protect you. That's why I've been keeping it from you."

Mia's stomach churned. "What do you mean? You've been hiding it from me?"

"I didn't want you to get caught in all this," Ethan said, his voice raw, as if the admission itself pained him. "I thought I could handle it. That I could keep you safe by keeping you in the dark. But now... now we don't have that luxury anymore."

 The weight of Ethan's confession sank in. He hadn't just been lying to her—he had been keeping her from a truth that could change everything. The black box wasn't just something to protect—it was something that could destroy them both.

"Who else knows about it?" Mia asked, her voice tight. "Is Veronica the only one?"

Ethan's expression grew darker. "No. Veronica's not the only one who wants it. There's someone else—someone I never wanted to get involved with again."

"Who?" Mia's heart raced. "Who's coming after us?"

Ethan's eyes met hers, and for a split second, she saw a flicker of something old, something buried deep in him—a regret. Then he said, "It's Lucas."