Chapter 18 – Hunted

The room felt colder as Lyra stared at her phone, her fingers tightening around the device.

"You shouldn’t have done that."

The voice had been low, distorted—but the message was clear.

She had been caught.

Not by Ethan.

By someone else.

And whoever they were, they wanted her to know they were watching.

Her mind raced. How?

She had covered her tracks. Used her best encryption. There was no way—

A sharp knock at her door made her breath hitch.

Her pulse spiked.

She stood slowly, her fingers hovering over the concealed knife under her desk.

The knock came again, firmer this time.

"Lyra."

Ethan.

Her stomach twisted. This was too much of a coincidence.

Taking a breath, she schooled her expression and unlocked the door.

Ethan Vaughn stood there in his usual all-black suit, his sharp gaze raking over her.

But something was different.

He looked… angry.

Without waiting for an invitation, he stepped inside.

"Why is your security off?" he asked, scanning the room.

Lyra crossed her arms. "Didn’t know you were keeping tabs on me, Mr. Vaughn."

His gaze snapped back to hers. "I am now."

The weight of those words settled between them.

She kept her expression neutral, but her mind was racing.

Did he know? Had he somehow traced her hack?

Or was this about something else entirely?

Ethan exhaled slowly, his voice lower this time. "Who called you?"

Her breath caught. He knew.

Lyra forced a smirk. "Why do you assume someone called me?"

Ethan’s jaw clenched slightly. "Because I got the same warning."

Her blood ran cold.

The same call?

Before she could respond, Ethan stepped closer, invading her space.

"You’ve been poking where you shouldn’t, haven’t you?" he murmured.

His tone was almost casual, but his eyes—they were dangerous.

Lyra met his gaze evenly. "Isn’t that exactly what you hired me to do?"

Ethan chuckled, but there was no humor in it.

"Careful, Lyra," he murmured. "If you go too deep, there won’t be a way back."

She tilted her head. "Are you warning me or threatening me?"

A pause.

Then, Ethan leaned in slightly.

"Both."

The tension thickened, the air between them almost suffocating.

And then—her laptop screen flickered violently.

Her breath hitched.

A new message popped up.

"YOU’VE BEEN MARKED."

Ethan saw it too, his expression turning to stone.

Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone, dialing something quickly.

Lyra didn’t hear who he called.

But the next words made her blood turn to ice.

"We need to move her. Now."

She stepped back. "Excuse me?"

Ethan met her gaze, his voice calm but firm.

"You’re not safe here."

Lyra laughed dryly. "Oh, and I suppose you’re offering to be my knight in shining armor?"

Ethan’s lips curled slightly. "Hardly. But I prefer my investments alive."

Investments.

The word stung more than it should have.

But Lyra didn’t have time to process it.

Because outside—

A car pulled up.

And just like that, she realized.

This wasn’t a warning.

This was a hunt.

And she was the target.

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End of Chapter 18

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