In Nick's apartment
Knock Knock
"Hey—what's up, Daisy?" Nick asked as he opened the door.
"Nothing," she said lightly, her gaze dropping almost immediately to his hand. "I just came to check on you. You looked injured earlier."
"It's nothing serious," he waved it off. "Lara must've been worried. Tell her not to be."
He turned and headed toward his study.
Daisy followed, offering polite smiles as she passed Nick's parents in the living room. They returned them warmly—pleasant, normal. Nothing out of place.
"But what actually happened to your hand?" Daisy asked as Nick began rebandaging his palm.
"Hm… you know," he said hesitantly, "helping Mom in the kitchen. That's when it happened."
Daisy didn't respond.
The cut was too clean—precise and deep, like it had been made by a sharp knife. And the way he limped now and then didn't quite match the story either.
"I'll grab some snacks," Nick said, disappearing into the kitchen.
The moment he was gone, Daisy's attention shifted.
The table.
Files. Papers. Neatly stacked—too neat for something casual.
Her fingers hesitated… then moved.
She flipped through the documents, her breath catching.
City C Military Base.City B Military Base.
Her fingers froze.
Footsteps.
Nick returned.
"So," Daisy said casually, sliding the papers back into place, her tone easy, unbothered, "I heard you got assigned a military base project. Have you handled something like this before? I mean, this is huge. The government wouldn't hand something like this out without prior experience, right?"
"Oh yeah," Nick said smoothly. "Multiple times. Just last month, I worked on the City B base."He smiled—proud. Maybe a little too proud."The government was impressed. We restored the place, repaired the weapons, handed everything back to the camps. No information leaks. No mistakes."
He paused, then added, almost casually,"This new base basically controls the country's entire information network."
Daisy nodded, her expression perfectly neutral."That's… impressive. Congratulations."
She turned toward the window, pretending to check the time.
That's when she saw it.
A shadow—quick and deliberate—slip past the glass.
Her spine stiffened.
Was someone watching us?
After a few more minutes of polite conversation with Nick's parents, Daisy excused herself and left.
Outside, the air felt heavier than before.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Back at Daisy's apartment building
Daisy tried the number lock again.
Beep.Error.
She groaned softly and hit the door in frustration."Ugh. Not again. I seriously need to get this repaired."
"What's wrong?"
She turned to see her neighbor, Rain, walking in with a bag of fresh vegetables.
"The lock isn't working," she said, rubbing her forehead. "And it's already midnight. No repair guy is coming at this hour."
Rain studied the door for a second, then looked back at her."Why don't you stay at my place tonight?" he offered easily. "Have you eaten? If not, we can have dinner together."
Daisy froze.
Her mind short-circuited as a memory surfaced—the last time they'd been alone in a room. Heat rushed to her face before she could stop it.
Rain caught it instantly and chuckled."By dinner, I meant food," he clarified, amused.
"Oh—right. Yeah," she said quickly, nodding. "Food."
She followed him into his apartment, trying—and failing—to slow her thoughts.
"Why don't you take a shower while I make something to eat?" Rain said casually. "I've got shirts, pants, shorts—whatever fits you."
Daisy stopped and stared at him.
He lifted an eyebrow, entertained."Relax. You can lock the door. I don't mind."
She muttered something under her breath and went in anyway.
When she came back out, her hair was still damp, water clinging to the ends. She looked effortless. Rain noticed—and for a moment, completely forgot what he'd been doing.
"Here," he said, handing her a bowl. "Have some soup." He pointed to the plate beside it. "And steak. I'll go freshen up too."
She took a bite, then looked up."Aren't you going to eat? You said we'd have dinner together," she asked, a hint of disappointment slipping into her voice.
"I already ate," he said with a small smile. "You took a long time in the shower."
He disappeared into the room before she could respond.