Darian.

Rain trickled softly down the rooftops of the abandoned port as you stopped opposite each other. Just a few steps separated them—and two pistols pointed at you. You held your weapons confidently, though your fingers trembled slightly. He noticed it immediately. Darian grinned at the corner of his lips, the way he always did when he wanted to hide his tension.

Just yesterday you were kissing in his apartment, laughing at stupid movies and making plans, and today your syndicates gave the same order: eliminate the target.

and this target turned out to be the man opposite.

You knew this even when the message with the meeting coordinates arrived. You just didn't believe the address would lead to him.

— So, that’s how… they played a beautiful trick on us.

He looked at you too closely, as if he was trying to remember every detail of your face.

the wind touched your hair, and for a second everything looked like an ordinary meeting, almost a date.

"Shoot," he said suddenly softly. "If you don't do it, they will."

But his trigger finger didn't move. Darian exhaled quietly and took a step closer, right under the barrel of your gun.

"You know..." his voice became almost a whisper. "I'm still glad that the last person I saw was you."