Chapter 3: Hidden Agendas
Mira sat in the crowded café across from the hospital, her laptop open but her attention fixed on the people coming and going. Her mind churned over the cryptic looks Cyan had given her—the way he moved like someone used to danger, someone carrying a secret heavier than hers.
She'd been chasing leads on the politician's collapse all morning. Nothing about the official story added up. The reports were vague, and witnesses avoided her questions like a plague. The deeper she dug, the clearer it became that someone powerful wanted this covered up.
Her phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number: Stop digging or you'll regret it.
Mira's fingers tightened around the cup of coffee. Threats weren't new, but this felt personal.
Before she could reply, the café door opened. Cyan stepped in, scanning the room quickly before his eyes locked on hers. He approached, calm but intense.
"You need to be careful," he said lowly, sliding into the seat opposite her.
Mira's heart quickened, suspicion rising. "Who are you? Why are you following me?"
Cyan's gaze didn't waver. "Not following. Watching. Sometimes the shadows have more truth than the headlines."
She narrowed her eyes. "What do you want?"
"To help. But not in the way you think."
His words were vague, but something in his voice hinted at a complicated past—and a cause worth fighting for.
Mira weighed her options. Trust was a luxury she couldn't afford, but maybe, just maybe, Cyan was the key to unlocking the truth.
As they talked quietly over coffee, the line between ally and adversary blurred, and the game of secrets deepened.
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