Celeste stepped out and stood still in the corridor.
Her feet moved forward, but her heart remained somewhere back in that living room—trapped in the wreckage of what had just unfolded.
She called Steve.
"I'm heading to the Nest. Have the car ready. I'll be down soon."
Her voice was calm—too calm.
But her fingertips were damp with cold sweat.
The Nest – on the outskirts of Seoul.
After a long, silent drive, the car pulled up to a quiet apartment far from the noise of the city, far from the weight of eyes.
She slipped off her shoes without a word and sank into the couch, not bothering to turn on the lights.
Her breath, heavy and tangled, poured out slowly.
"It's all broken now… everything I tried to hold together."
Jinwoo's tears.
Daniel's collapse.
Noah's clenched silence.
All of them had turned toward her.
But she—she hadn't been able to truly hold onto any of them.
"All I wanted was to protect them...So how did we end up like this?"
Just then, her phone buzzed quietly in her pocket.
The screen flickered dimly in the dark—silent but insistent.
[Howard]I've just sent over the files you requested this morning.
Celeste opened her laptop.
After a deep breath, she clicked the attachment.
The Black Team's report unfolded on the screen, line by line—clean, precise, and cold.
Name: Luca Belloni
Affiliation: Mid-level boss under Alessandro Belloni Syndicate
Origin: Outskirts of Milan
Family: Eldest son. One younger sister (currently admitted to a drug rehab facility)
Recent Location: Private villa near Livorno Port
Contact Info: (Decryption complete)
Her breath caught.
She closed her eyes for just a second—then dialed the number.
After a few rings, a stranger's voice answered.
"As expected of the Langley princess."
His tone was smooth—frigid.
"You must've planted quite a few birds. Found me faster than I thought."
"I need to ask you something. Just the two of us. As soon as possible."
He paused. Then let out a soft, chilling laugh.
"Rushing straight into the fire, are we? How bold of you. But then again… you always did enjoy the heat. The door will be open, my princess—no complications. For now."
Click.
The call ended without a goodbye.
Less than an hour later, an encrypted email arrived.
Private Jet Assignment
Departure: Gimpo Business Terminal (RKSS)
Destination: Perugia San Francesco d'Assisi – Umbria International Airport(LIRZ)
Provider: Belloni Syndicate Private Aircraft
Departure Window: Within 3 hours
Celeste stared at the screen in silence.
Then picked up her phone and called Steve again.
"Get the car ready. I'm heading to the airport."
She stood, walked to the wardrobe, and opened it.
From the back, she pulled out a coat—
not elegant, not pristine—
but old, dark, and worn.
Something not of Langley.
Something of Celeste.
This journey—
Not touched for desire.
Not followed for power.
But held… simply as her.