The envelope was still in her hand.
Ava stared at it as she walked through the quiet streets, the soft hum of campus lights flickering overhead. The wax seal was broken now, the elegant paper folded neatly—but the weight it carried felt anything but light.
She should've said no.
But it was the way Monica had looked at her—calm on the surface, but tight around the eyes. Like she was trying not to say too much. Like something was coming.
A family dinner.
She hadn't been home in months. Her life was here now. This quiet life with Lena, her sketchbook, and the quiet illusion of normalcy. She'd done everything right to build this new identity.
Ava Queen. Not Avery. Not the quiet girl behind Monica Queen's shadow.
Her grip on the envelope tightened.
> "You should throw it away," she whispered to herself.
But she didn't.
---
Across the Street – Nathan's POV
She was alone again. Same hoodie. Same walk—shoulders curled inward, as if she were shrinking from the world.
Nathan leaned against the side of a tree just beyond the glow of the streetlight. From this angle, he could see her face clearly when she passed beneath the light.
That same face he'd been seeing too much lately.
And yet… it wasn't her. Not the girl in the file.
Avery Queen.
The photo he'd studied during briefing was of a scrawny, pale teenager with messy hair and oversized glasses. A background note said she'd left the country after high school, likely disconnected from the family entirely. No real use to the mission.
But Ava Queen... she didn't look like someone irrelevant.
The thought itched at the back of his brain. His gut didn't sit right, and Nathan had learned to trust his gut. Always.
His phone buzzed.
He pulled it out with a sigh and answered.
> "Cross," he said quietly, eyes still locked on Ava's figure as she turned a corner.
> "You're late with your report," came the cold voice from HQ.
> "I'm collecting details."
> "You've had two weeks, Cross. Any movement on Monica Queen?"
> "She keeps her head low. Controlled. Smart. Doesn't party, doesn't talk much. But she's definitely connected to something. I'm working an angle through a close contact."
There was a pause.
> "Do we have names?"
Nathan hesitated. His eyes drifted to where Ava had disappeared.
> "Not yet. But I'm close."
> "Get closer. We need something concrete. And keep your personal instincts out of it this time, Cross."
Nathan hung up without replying.
The wind picked up slightly, rustling the leaves. He slid his phone back into his pocket and started walking.
Something about Ava Queen gnawed at him.
Either she was just another shy girl with too many secrets...
Or she was the missing link in a very dangerous chain.
---