The night was thick with mist, the kind that curled like smoke around the edges of the harbor. Lydia pulled her coat tighter around her, her heels clacking softly against the wooden planks as she moved through the shadows. Her heart beat fast — not from fear, but from the uncertainty that came with following the man she loved into the unknown.
Jaden was up ahead, his tall frame illuminated briefly by the amber glow of a distant streetlight. He moved with purpose, phone in hand, speaking in low tones. Lydia couldn't make out every word, but the name Cassandra sliced through the fog like a knife.
She froze.
That name again.
From her hiding place behind a stack of crates, she listened — every nerve in her body on high alert.
> "No, Cassandra," Jaden's voice was low, cold. "You said this would be the last time. I'm done covering your mess."
There was silence. Then a woman's voice — faint, sharp, coming from the phone's speaker.
> "You owe me, Jaden. Don't pretend you've forgotten how deep this goes."
Lydia's breath hitched. The pier suddenly felt colder. She had known Cassandra was dangerous, but hearing Jaden arguing with her… it was something else entirely.
Jaden ran a hand through his hair, frustration written all over his face. "I risked everything to keep this buried," he muttered. "If you bring her into this—"
The call ended abruptly. Jaden cursed under his breath and leaned on the railing, staring out at the black, restless sea.
Lydia took a hesitant step forward, torn between confronting him and running back to the safety of ignorance. But something in her snapped — the weeks of distance, the half-truths, the shadows in his eyes. She couldn't take it anymore.
"Jaden," she said softly.
He spun around — startled, eyes dark with something between shock and guilt.
"Lydia?" His tone was sharp, defensive. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing," she whispered, stepping closer. "Who is Cassandra to you… really?"
For a long, tense moment, the sound of waves crashing filled the silence between them.
Jaden's jaw clenched. "You shouldn't have followed me."
"Then tell me why I had to," Lydia shot back, voice trembling. "I've been trying to trust you, but every time I do, you shut me out. You disappear. You lie. What are you hiding from me?"
Jaden looked away — toward the dark sea again — his expression unreadable. "You wouldn't understand."
"Then make me understand!" she cried. "Because right now, all I see is a man I love slipping into something I can't recognize."
Jaden turned to her then, eyes burning with a mix of pain and fury. "It's not what you think, Lydia. But if you stay any closer to me… you'll get hurt."
"Then let me get hurt," she said quietly, tears threatening to fall. "Just don't keep pushing me away."
Jaden's silence lingered — long, heavy, and filled with everything he couldn't say.
Then, faintly, behind them — a soft click echoed through the night. Lydia turned. A shadow moved near the docked boats — and the unmistakable glint of silver caught her eyes.
Someone was watching them.