The traffic light counted down in red.
Ten seconds.
Nine.
Sophia Sullivan pressed her lips together.
She didn't answer Ethan Sullivan's question.
A sharp honk blared from behind.
The car rolled forward again.
Tires crunched over pavement.
They turned the corner.
The iron gates of the villa came into view.
Brake pads whispered against rotors.
The vehicle came to a smooth stop.
The engine cut out.
Darkness swallowed the interior.
"Greenland is foreign soil," Ethan's voice was low, "and a graveyard for countless souls."
His tone carried unprecedented gravity.
Sophia's nails dug into her palms.
"Are you suggesting I hide like a coward?"
Her voice was edged with ice.
"I'm not stopping you." Ethan studied her tense profile. "But stay rational until we confirm the intel."
He could see her restraining her emotions.
"Remember what you told me?" He slowed his words. "The more dangerous the situation, the calmer you must be."
The car window slid down.
Night wind rushed in, carrying the warmth of streetlights.
Ethan's form melted into shadow.
His shirt clung to defined muscle.
"You're not fighting alone."
He leaned closer.
The seatbelt buckle clicked.
Cedarwood cologne filled the space between them.
Though light waited just beyond the glass,
darkness blurred his silhouette.
Only his magnetic voice remained,
vibrating against her eardrums.
"Use me."
He'd never allowed anyone to exploit him before.
This was a first.
As the belt retracted,
his breath ghosted over her skin.
Half an inch more and their lips would meet.
But Ethan withdrew into the driver's seat.
The heat he left behind scorched the air.
His words hooked into Sophia's heart like barbs.
"I lost control earlier."
She inhaled deeply.
Her pulse steadied.
"I'll need your help tracing the earring."
"Consider it done."
Ethan watched the swaying trees outside.
"We must identify the black market seller before Greenland."
"Understood."
Dark currents swirled in Sophia's eyes.
She would go.
But not blindly to her death.
"We need to confirm my mother's whereabouts first."
Ethan was right.
Recklessness meant certain defeat.
The overseas intelligence network had to be activated.
Every secret of Greenland must be uncovered.
No thread of human experimentation could be overlooked.
"Either we strike with precision," her nails drew blood, "or not at all."
Moonlight split her face in half.
At the border of light and shadow, her resolve was absolute.
"Find the earring seller, and I owe you."
Ethan's mouth curved slightly.
"Deal."
The door unlock beep shattered the silence.
Cool air flooded the cabin.
Sophia pushed the door open.
"Ms. Sullivan."
His rasp stopped her.
She turned.
Ethan leaned against the car.
Silver moonlight cascaded over his shoulders.
"I said I'd stand with you."
Dead leaves spiraled by the tires.
Sunset bled across the horizon.
The view was breathtaking.
Like a meteor's fleeting brilliance.
Or the fragile bond between them—
destined to bloom,
but never bear fruit.
Two intersecting lines that would inevitably diverge.
"My burdens are mine alone."
Sophia waved without looking back.
Amused laughter scattered on the wind.
"Focus on healing first, Mr. Sullivan."
The air stilled.
Something dark flickered in Ethan's gaze.
Her rejection was clear.
Sophia didn't wait for a response.
She strode toward the estate.
"Goodbye."
Her figure vanished beyond the doorway.
The rearview mirror reflected only emptiness.
Ethan chuckled low.
"Madness."
A cigarette box slipped from his fingers.
The flare of a match briefly illuminated his face.
Nicotine failed to numb his nerves.
If anything, his chest grew heavier.
The ember's glow burned through his heart.
A cold gust swept past.
Only when a second-floor window glowed gold
did he snuff out the cigarette.
The engine roared to life, tearing through the night.