Chapter Fifteen: Threads of Deception

Lisa paced the confines of her room, her mind restless. The sterile environment pressed against her sanity, but her determination remained unyielding. She replayed every conversation with her captors, searching for clues, for weaknesses. Yet, it wasn’t until Kane entered again, carrying a tablet and an air of unshakable confidence, that her unease deepened.

“Lisa,” Kane greeted with an easy smile, placing the tablet on the table between them. “I thought you might like a little… clarity about the man you’re so desperate to return to.”

Lisa’s breath hitched. Taehyung. She kept her face neutral, masking the sudden rush of fear and anticipation. “What are you talking about?”

Kane pulled out the chair across from her and sat down, his movements slow and deliberate. “You see, I’ve done my research on you, Lisa. And, by extension, on Taehyung. He’s quite the intriguing figure, isn’t he? Handsome, mysterious, fiercely protective. But there’s more to him than you know.”

Lisa narrowed her eyes. “If you have something to say, say it.”

Kane chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “Always so direct. I admire that. Very well.” He tapped the screen of the tablet, and a series of images appeared—grainy photos of Taehyung in unfamiliar surroundings.

Lisa’s heart pounded as she scanned the images. Taehyung, wearing a black tactical suit, stood amidst a group of armed men. The insignia on their uniforms sent a chill through her. It was unmistakably the emblem of Aegis.

“No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “This has to be fake.”

Kane leaned forward, his voice soft and almost sympathetic. “I wish it were, Lisa. But the truth is often far less comfortable than the lies we tell ourselves. Taehyung was one of us. A trusted agent, one of the best. His name still carries weight in Aegis, even after he betrayed us.”

Lisa’s stomach churned, but she forced herself to meet Kane’s gaze. “If that’s true, why does he hate you? Why would he risk everything to fight you?”

Kane’s lips curled into a thin smile. “Oh, Lisa. People always have reasons for turning against those they once served. Guilt, greed, revenge… take your pick. But don’t mistake his motives for purity. Taehyung is not the hero you think he is.”

Lisa clenched her fists, her voice trembling with anger. “You’re lying. You’re trying to manipulate me.”

Kane spread his hands in a gesture of innocence. “Believe what you will. But ask yourself—why hasn’t he told you the truth about his past? If he truly loved you, wouldn’t he have been honest from the start?”

The question struck a nerve, and Kane’s keen eyes didn’t miss her hesitation.

“Taehyung is a man of secrets,” Kane continued, his tone almost pitying. “He hides them well, but they always have a way of surfacing. When they do, will you be ready for what you’ll find?”

Lisa wanted to shout, to scream at him, but the words caught in her throat. A part of her hated herself for even entertaining the possibility that Kane might be right.

Kane stood, sensing that his seeds of doubt had taken root. “I’ll leave you with this,” he said, tapping the tablet again. A video began to play, showing a younger Taehyung engaged in a brutal interrogation. His face was hardened, unrecognizable in its cold determination.

The screen flickered off, leaving Lisa in stunned silence.

Kane walked to the door, pausing before he left. “The truth is never as simple as we’d like it to be, Lisa. When you’re ready to talk, you know where to find me.”

The door closed behind him, and Lisa collapsed into the chair, her mind racing. The images, the video—they couldn’t be real. But the doubt Kane had planted gnawed at her, a relentless whisper she couldn’t silence.