The rain didn't stop when they reached Ethan's apartment.
It followed them.
Maya noticed it the moment the car engine cut off—the way the sound of rain seemed louder here, heavier, as though the sky itself was leaning in to listen.
Ethan's place was nothing like she expected.
No luxury. No chaos. No signs of a reckless life.
It was clean. Sparse. Controlled.
Too controlled.
Maya stepped inside slowly, Lina right behind her. The door shut with a quiet click that sounded far too final.
"Is this safe?" Lina asked, folding her arms tightly around herself.
Ethan locked the door, then checked the window latches with practiced precision. "Safer than your house right now."
"That's not reassuring," Lina muttered.
Maya's eyes scanned the room. There were no photos. No decorations. Just a couch, a small table, a bookshelf filled with neatly arranged files instead of novels.
"Do you live here," Maya asked, "or do you hide here?"
Ethan paused.
"Both."
That answer sent a chill down her spine.
---
Lina didn't stay long.
She made Ethan promise—swear, actually—that Maya would not be left alone. She hugged Maya tightly before leaving, whispering, "Text me the moment anything feels wrong."
As the door closed behind her, the apartment felt suddenly too quiet.
Too small.
Maya turned toward Ethan. "Okay," she said, crossing her arms. "We're alone. Start talking."
Ethan leaned against the counter, rubbing a hand over his face like someone who hadn't slept in days.
"I warned you," he said quietly.
"You warned me after someone broke into my house."
His jaw tightened. "I didn't think they'd move this fast."
"Who is they?" Maya demanded.
He looked up at her then, and for the first time since she'd met him, she saw something close to fear.
"People who don't like loose ends."
Her heart pounded. "Am I a loose end?"
"Yes," he said immediately. "Which is why I never wanted you involved."
She laughed bitterly. "Funny. You're doing a terrible job of keeping me uninvolved."
Ethan pushed away from the counter and walked toward the window, staring out into the rain-soaked city.
"I used to work for someone," he said slowly. "Someone powerful. Someone dangerous."
Maya swallowed. "Work doing what?"
"Information," he replied. "Finding it. Protecting it. Burying it."
Her stomach twisted. "That sounds illegal."
"It was," he said.
The admission hit her like a slap.
She took a step back. "Ethan—"
"I left," he said quickly. "I walked away before it got worse."
"And they didn't like that."
"No," he said quietly. "They really didn't."
---
Maya's phone buzzed in her pocket.
She froze.
Ethan's head snapped up. "Don't answer it."
Slowly, she pulled it out anyway.
Unknown Number:
You're somewhere you shouldn't be.
Her breath caught. "They know where I am."
Ethan cursed under his breath. "That means—"
The lights flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then steadied.
Maya's heart raced. "What does that mean?"
"It means they're testing boundaries," he said. "Seeing how far they can push."
She stared at him. "Push who?"
"You," he replied.
The word felt heavy.
Dangerous.
Maya took a deep breath, forcing herself not to panic. "So what do they want?"
Ethan hesitated.
Then he said the one thing she didn't expect.
"They want me to come back."
Her eyes widened. "Back to them?"
"Yes."
"And you're saying no."
"I already did," he said. "That's why they're using you."
Maya's voice shook. "I never agreed to be part of this."
"I know," he said softly. "That's why I hate myself for letting you get close."
The words cut deeper than she expected.
She turned away, hugging herself. "You don't get to decide who I get close to."
"I know," he repeated. "But I do get to decide how much blood I'm willing to spill to keep you alive."
She looked back at him sharply. "Blood?"
His silence was answer enough.
---
Night deepened.
The rain slowed to a whisper, but the tension in the apartment only thickened.
Maya sat on the couch, staring at nothing. Her mind replayed everything—messages, shadows, the crash in her house, Ethan's calm during chaos.
"You're not normal," she said suddenly.
Ethan glanced at her. "Neither are you."
She frowned. "What does that mean?"
"You didn't run," he said. "Most people would've."
"I was terrified."
"But you stayed."
She didn't have an answer for that.
The truth was, something inside her refused to break. Even now.
Her phone vibrated again.
Ethan was faster this time, taking it from her hand.
He read the message, his expression hardening.
"What?" she demanded.
"They're getting impatient," he said.
He handed the phone back.
Unknown Number:
Tomorrow.
Come alone.
Or she pays the price.
Maya's blood turned to ice.
"She?" she whispered.
Ethan's face went pale.
"They mean Lina."
---
"No," Maya said immediately. "No. That's not happening."
Ethan ran a hand through his hair, pacing now. "They wouldn't bluff with that."
"This is my fault," Maya whispered. "If I hadn't—"
"Stop," he said sharply. "This is mine."
She stood. "Then I'm coming with you."
He froze. "No."
"Yes."
"No," he said more forcefully. "You won't survive that meeting."
She stepped closer, looking him straight in the eyes. "Neither will you alone."
Their faces were inches apart now.
The air between them felt charged, electric, dangerous in a way that had nothing to do with the threat outside.
"You trust me?" he asked quietly.
She hesitated.
Then nodded. "I do."
Something unreadable passed through his eyes.
"That might be the most dangerous thing you've done tonight," he murmured.
---
Later, when the apartment finally fell silent, Maya couldn't sleep.
She stood by the window, watching the city lights flicker like distant warnings.
Behind her, Ethan spoke softly.
"If things go wrong tomorrow…"
She turned. "Don't."
"If they force me to choose—"
"Ethan."
"I need you to understand something," he said, his voice low. "Meeting you wasn't an accident."
Her heart skipped. "What do you mean?"
He took a slow step toward her.
"I was sent to watch you," he said. "At first."
The world tilted.
"…What?"
"I didn't know who you were," he continued. "Just a name. A location. A potential connection."
She felt like she couldn't breathe. "So this was all fake?"
"No," he said immediately. "Not anymore."
She stared at him, hurt and fury crashing together. "You lied to me."
"Yes."
"You used me."
"Yes."
"And you expect me to trust you?"
He met her gaze, unflinching. "I expect you to decide if the truth now matters more than the lie then."
Tears burned her eyes.
Outside, a car engine started.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Ethan's phone buzzed.
He glanced at it, then looked back at her.
"They're outside," he said.
Maya's heart slammed violently against her ribs.
"And now," he added quietly, "we find out how far they're willing to go."
---