The morning broke sharp and silver, slicing through the glass walls of the penthouse.
Rain had returned, soft but relentless — like the past refusing to wash away.
Elara followed Adrian through the corridor, her footsteps quiet but her thoughts loud.
He hadn't said a word since dawn. His jaw was set, his eyes darker than usual.
And in his hand, he carried a sealed envelope, edges frayed with age.
"Where are we going?" she asked finally.
"To the truth," he said, without looking back.
The elevator descended in silence — seventy-nine floors of tension. When the doors opened, they stepped into a private underground garage lined with armored cars.
A black file lay on the hood of the nearest one.
Adrian tossed her the envelope.
"Open it."
Elara hesitated. The paper felt heavy, almost alive with secrets.
Inside was a small leather-bound ledger, its cover embossed with a faint symbol — the same viper insignia from before.
Her breath caught.
She opened it.
Names.
Dates.
Contracts.
Kills.
And near the bottom — written in a graceful, precise hand — was "Adrian Velletto — eliminate before dawn."
Her vision blurred.
"What… what is this?"
Adrian's voice was calm, too calm.
"Your handwriting."
She stumbled back.
"No. No, I didn't—"
"You did," he said quietly.
"You were the Viper. The most efficient assassin in the underworld. I was your last contract."
The words sank in like knives.
"Then why am I alive?"
For the first time, something raw cracked through his control.
He took a step toward her, then another, until he was close enough for her to feel the tremor beneath his stillness.
"Because you couldn't do it."
"You pointed a gun at me, and your hand shook for the first time. You spared me… and they killed you for it."
Her knees went weak. The floor tilted.
"You're lying," she whispered again, but it came out broken.
Adrian reached out and lifted her chin.
"Look at me, Elara."
His gaze was molten steel.
"Every scar you have — every nightmare — every flicker of memory you're terrified to face — it all leads back to me."
"You're saying I died because I loved you?"
"No."
He leaned closer, breath ghosting over her lips.
"You died because you hesitated."
The door to the garage opened suddenly.
A figure stood there — the golden-haired man from before.
He held a gun, his expression carved from fury.
"Step away from her, Velletto."
Adrian's smirk returned, cold and sharp.
"You again."
"You lied to her," the man said. "You told her half a story. Tell her who ordered that contract."
Adrian's gaze hardened.
"Don't."
The golden-haired man took another step forward, voice cracking with anger.
"Tell her that you were the one who paid for her death!"
Elara froze.
"What…?"
Adrian's silence was louder than any denial.
The world tilted again — only this time, it wasn't memory. It was betrayal.
Bang!
The sound echoed through the garage.
No one moved for a full breath.
Smoke. Silence. Shock.
Elara's eyes widened — the golden-haired man's gun had fallen — and Adrian was bleeding, one hand pressed against his shoulder, eyes locked on hers.
"You were never supposed to find out like this," he murmured, voice cracking for the first time.
Her hands trembled.
"You… you tried to have me killed?"
He stepped closer, blood staining his sleeve.
"I tried to save you. I just didn't know it would destroy us both."