Chapter Seven: Tangled Threads

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The trio found temporary refuge in a decrepit motel on the outskirts of the city. The peeling wallpaper and flickering lightbulb made the room feel more like a prison than a sanctuary, but it was the safest place they could find on such short notice.

Taehyung paced near the window, his sharp gaze scanning the street below for any signs of danger. Lisa sat on the bed, her legs folded beneath her as she cleaned her gun. Across the room, Raven leaned against the wall, her arms crossed, watching Taehyung with a mix of curiosity and something else Lisa couldn’t quite place.

“So, are we just going to pretend I don’t exist, or are you finally going to tell her who I am?” Raven said, breaking the tense silence.

Taehyung froze mid-step, his jaw tightening. “This isn’t the time.”

“It’s never the time with you,” Raven shot back, her voice laced with frustration. She pushed off the wall and stepped closer to him, her movements smooth and deliberate. “You think you can keep running from the past, but it always catches up, Taehyung. You know that better than anyone.”

Lisa glanced between them, her brow furrowing. “What’s she talking about?”

Taehyung didn’t answer, his eyes locked on Raven’s. There was a storm brewing between them, a charged tension that spoke of unspoken history.

Raven sighed, her green eyes softening as she turned to Lisa. “He hasn’t told you, has he? About what happened in Paris?”

Lisa’s stomach churned at the mention of Paris. “What happened?” she asked, her voice steady despite the unease creeping into her chest.

“Don’t,” Taehyung said, his voice low and warning.

But Raven ignored him, her gaze never leaving Lisa. “We were partners once. Before all of this. Before Aegis. Back then, he was different—reckless, passionate, unstoppable. We were unstoppable.”

Lisa felt her heart tighten at the implications of Raven’s words. “Partners?”

“In every sense of the word,” Raven said, her lips curving into a faint smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “We were chasing ghosts and taking down the worst of the worst. But then everything went to hell.”

“That’s enough,” Taehyung growled, stepping between them.

Raven tilted her head, her expression unreadable. “She deserves to know, Tae. You think keeping secrets will protect her? It didn’t protect us.”

Lisa’s mind raced as she tried to piece together the fragments of their conversation. “What happened?” she demanded, standing from the bed.

Taehyung’s shoulders sagged, and for a moment, he looked almost… defeated. “We were set up,” he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. “In Paris. Aegis knew we were close to exposing them, so they turned us against each other.”

“And you let them,” Raven added, her voice sharp. “You left me.”

Taehyung turned to her, his expression pained. “I thought you were dead.”

Raven’s laugh was bitter, her eyes flashing with anger. “You didn’t even look for me.”

Lisa watched the exchange, her chest tightening with a mix of emotions she couldn’t untangle. It was clear Raven and Taehyung shared a complicated past, one that had left deep scars on both of them.

“Why are you here now?” Lisa asked, her voice cutting through the tension.

Raven turned to her, the anger in her eyes softening. “Because he needs me. And whether he admits it or not, you do too.”

The words hung in the air, heavy with implication. Lisa wanted to argue, to push Raven away, but deep down, she knew she was right. They were in over their heads, and any help they could get was better than facing Aegis alone.

But that didn’t mean Lisa trusted her.

Later that night, Lisa found herself unable to sleep. She sat by the window, staring out at the darkened street, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts.

“Can’t sleep?”

She turned to see Taehyung standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable.

Lisa shook her head. “Too much to think about.”

Taehyung walked over and sat beside her, the silence between them heavy but not uncomfortable.

“Did you love her?” Lisa asked suddenly, the question slipping out before she could stop herself.

Taehyung didn’t answer right away, his gaze fixed on the city lights. “It’s complicated.”

Lisa frowned, her heart sinking. “That’s not an answer.”

Taehyung turned to her, his dark eyes filled with something she couldn’t quite name. “I thought I did. But it wasn’t real. Not like this.”

Lisa’s breath caught as his hand brushed against hers, the warmth of his touch sending a jolt through her.

“This?” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Taehyung leaned closer, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke. “What’s between us. It’s different.”

Lisa felt her heart race as he cupped her face, his touch gentle but firm. When his lips met hers, the kiss was slow and deliberate, filled with a raw intensity that left her breathless.

But just as she began to lose herself in the moment, the sound of a throat clearing broke them apart.

“Am I interrupting something?” Raven’s voice was laced with amusement, but her eyes betrayed a flicker of something deeper—jealousy, perhaps?

Lisa pulled away, her cheeks flushing as Taehyung stood, his expression hardening.

“We were just—”

“Save it,” Raven said, waving a hand dismissively. “I’m not here to judge. But we’ve got company.”

Lisa’s heart sank as Raven held up a tracking device, its red light blinking ominously.

“They’ve found us again,” Raven said, her tone grim. “We need to move. Now.”

As they gathered their things and prepared to flee, Lisa couldn’t help but steal a glance at Taehyung. His jaw was set, his eyes dark with determination.

Whatever was between them—and whatever Raven’s role in their story might be—Lisa knew one thing for certain: the shadows they were running from were growing darker by the second.

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