The Offer

It was another ordinary evening for Aria Moon. The hum of the city outside her small apartment window filled the room as she curled up on her couch with a book, sipping tea. Life had always been simple for her—steady, uneventful, and comfortable in its routine. She had long accepted that she wasn’t the star of her own story. That title belonged to her twin brother, Leo, the prodigy who shone brighter than anyone Aria had ever known.

But Aria didn’t mind. She liked her quiet life. At least, that’s what she told herself.

A sudden knock on the door disrupted her peace. Frowning, she set her cup down and padded across the room, pulling the door open to reveal her uncle, Victor Moon. He stood there in a sleek black coat, looking out of place in the homely setting of her apartment.

“Uncle Victor,” she greeted him with a surprised smile. “What are you doing here?”

Victor rarely visited unless there was something important to discuss. His expression was calm, but the way he glanced around made Aria feel like she was missing something. “Can I come in?” he asked.

Aria stepped aside, letting him in. “This is unexpected. Everything okay?”

Victor took a seat, his movements measured and deliberate. “Aria, I have an offer for you. It’s… a bit unconventional.”

She narrowed her eyes, already sensing that whatever he was about to say would turn her world upside down. “What kind of offer?”

He handed her a small, sealed envelope. “I need you to work for me—for the agency—just for six months.”

Aria blinked. “The agency? As in… what Leo does?”

Victor nodded. “Yes. But not the same type of work. I need someone who can blend in, who isn’t a genius like your brother but has charm and intelligence in her own right. It’s dangerous, but you’d be compensated handsomely, and it’s only for a short time.”

Her pulse quickened. “Dangerous? I’m not trained for that kind of work, Uncle.”

“I know, but you’re adaptable. You’ll have the best resources at your disposal. You can leave if it’s too much, but you’re the only one who can pull this off.” His tone was persuasive, but Aria couldn’t help but feel wary. Why her? Why now?

She turned the envelope over in her hands, feeling the weight of the decision. “What exactly would I be doing?”

Victor leaned forward. “You’d be working as an agent, infiltrating a private sector where we suspect illegal activity is taking place. There’s someone you need to watch—a man named Ethan Blackwood.”

Ethan Blackwood. The name sent a shiver down her spine, though she couldn’t quite place why. “And you think I’m the right person for this?”

Victor’s eyes softened. “You’re perfect for it, Aria. Just trust me.”

For a moment, she considered saying no, telling him she wasn’t cut out for the world of espionage and danger. But something inside her stirred—perhaps the quiet desire to break free from the mundane life she had built, to prove she wasn’t just Leo’s ordinary sister.

Against her better judgment, she took a deep breath. “Alright. I’ll do it.”

Victor smiled, though there was a hint of relief in his eyes. “Good. I’ll arrange for your training to start immediately.”

As Victor left her apartment, Aria stood in the middle of her living room, holding the envelope that would change her life. The excitement of the unknown coursed through her veins, but so did a cold dread.

Little did she know, this decision would lead her straight into the path of Ethan Blackwood—a man with a reputation as cold as ice and as dangerous as fire.

And once their lives collided, nothing would ever be the same age

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