Chapter 19 – Into the Wolf’s Den

Lyra didn’t protest when Ethan guided her down the fire escape and into the sleek, black SUV waiting at the curb.

His grip on her wrist was firm, not forceful—but it told her everything.

This wasn’t a discussion.

It was a command.

And she hated how part of her let him lead.

Once inside the car, tinted windows shutting them off from the world, Lyra finally pulled her wrist free.

"You’re acting like I’m some damsel in distress," she muttered, glaring out the window.

Ethan didn’t look at her. "You were marked, Lyra. That’s not something I ignore."

"And you think whisking me off into the dark makes me safe?"

Now he turned his head, and his voice dropped. "I don’t make people safe. I make them invisible."

A beat of silence.

Then she asked the question that had been burning in her mind since he arrived.

"What is Project Phantom?"

His jaw tightened.

So he knew.

She saw it in the flicker of hesitation in his eyes.

"You found the file," he said, more statement than question.

"You left it unsecured. I assumed it was intentional."

"It wasn’t." His tone was sharper now. "You weren’t supposed to see that."

"Too late."

Their eyes locked—hers burning with challenge, his with warning.

"You want the truth?" he said finally. "Fine. Project Phantom isn’t just about Red Phantom."

Lyra’s stomach twisted. "Then what is it?"

Ethan exhaled slowly. "It’s a containment protocol."

She blinked. "For what?"

"For anomalies like you."

Her blood ran cold. "Anomalies?"

"You and your brother. You weren’t just good hackers—you were... different. Dangerous."

His words struck deeper than she expected.

So he had known. Not just about Red Phantom. But about her.

Her voice came out quieter than she wanted. "You’ve been hunting us all along."

He didn’t answer immediately.

Then: "I’ve been trying to stop something before it starts."

The car slowed as they pulled into a private garage—underground, heavily guarded, surrounded by sleek concrete walls.

Lyra looked around. "Where are we?"

"My other safehouse," Ethan replied. "Nobody knows about this place. Not even my board."

She got out of the car without waiting.

As they stepped inside the silent compound, Ethan finally broke the silence.

"You’re not the only one being hunted now."

She turned. "What do you mean?"

He stared at her. "I’ve been marked too."

Her breath caught.

This wasn’t just about her anymore.

Whoever was watching them... they were playing a much bigger game.

And Ethan Vaughn?

Wasn’t in control anymore.

For the first time.

He knew it.

And so did she.

The safehouse was cold, quiet, and dimly lit.

Lyra sat in one of the glass-walled conference rooms, staring at the screen in front of her.

She had begun decrypting the rest of the Project Phantom files, her hands shaking with every line of code.

The more she read, the clearer it became.

Project Phantom wasn’t just a manhunt.

It was an experiment.

And she and Leo were at the center of it.

Ethan stood nearby, watching her work silently.

They didn’t speak.

But the tension between them had shifted.

It wasn’t just suspicion anymore.

It was something else.

Something more dangerous.

An unspoken truth.

They needed each other now.

Not because they trusted one another—

But because trust was no longer a luxury.

It was a necessity.

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End of Chapter 19

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