The sound was faint but unmistakable — metal scraping against metal, a quiet echo swallowed by the waves. Lydia's pulse quickened as she clutched Jaden's arm.
"Did you hear that?" she whispered.
Jaden's eyes darted toward the docks, his body stiffening instantly. He reached into his coat pocket — instinctively, protectively — and stepped in front of her. The soft mist hung heavy in the air, swallowing visibility until all they could see were faint outlines of boats swaying on the dark water.
Then came another sound — a footstep. Slow. Careful. Too deliberate to be the wind.
"Lydia," he said quietly, his voice low but commanding. "Stay behind me."
The fog thickened as if the night itself was holding its breath. Lydia's heart was racing, her mind torn between fear and confusion. Who could be here at this hour — and why?
"Who's there?" Jaden called out. His tone was cold, dangerous. The kind of voice Lydia had never heard from him before.
A woman's laugh cut through the night — smooth, confident, and hauntingly familiar.
"Well, well," the voice purred. "I didn't think you'd bring her into this, Jaden."
Lydia's stomach dropped. Cassandra.
She stepped out from behind one of the boats — dressed in black, her heels clicking softly against the wooden pier. The dim light caught her face, and there was a cruel smile playing on her lips.
"Cassandra," Jaden muttered, his jaw tightening. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing," she said, folding her arms. "But I guess it doesn't matter now. She's already involved."
Lydia's throat went dry. "What do you mean involved?"
Cassandra smirked, eyes glinting. "Oh, darling, you have no idea what kind of man you've been falling for."
"Enough," Jaden snapped, taking a step forward. "You don't get to twist this."
Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I'm not twisting anything. You just never told her the truth, did you?"
Lydia looked between them, her voice trembling. "What truth?"
Silence. The kind that stretches long enough to make your heart ache.
Jaden's face was pale now, his eyes locked on Cassandra. "Don't do this."
Cassandra tilted her head. "You can't hide it forever, Jaden. You think protecting her will change what happened?"
Lydia's voice cracked. "What happened?"
Cassandra's lips curved into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Ask him about the night everything started — the night he destroyed someone's life… for money."
Lydia froze. "That's not true…"
But Jaden didn't say a word.
His silence was louder than any denial.
The air between them grew heavier, colder. Lydia's chest ached with disbelief as she stepped back, her eyes wide with hurt.
"Jaden… please tell me she's lying."
He opened his mouth to speak — but before he could, a loud crash erupted from the end of the pier. A shadowy figure bolted into the darkness. Cassandra's smirk faded as she turned toward the sound.
Jaden grabbed Lydia's hand. "We have to go. Now."
"But—"
"No time," he snapped, his grip firm. "They found us."
The words hung in the air like a thunderclap.
As they ran into the fog, Lydia's heart pounded with one question she couldn't silence.
What has Jaden done that he's so desperate to hide?