Chapter 𝟑: The Ledger and the Lies

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Back at Black Echo HQ, the atmosphere was unusually tense.

General Maddox sat behind his desk, staring at the drive like it was a live grenade. Alexandra and Ash stood side by side, still dripping slightly from the fountain dive.

Maddox finally spoke. “The ledger confirms what we feared—Chimera is dealing with more than weapons. They’re after old bloodlines. Legacies.”

“Why?” Alexandra asked.

“We don’t know,” Maddox said. “Yet.”

Ash stepped forward. “And what the hell was with the names ‘Alexis and Ashton Black’? That wasn’t our cover story.”

Maddox leaned back, hands steepled. “Funny thing. That invitation came from my desk.”

Both agents blinked.

“I didn’t send it,” he added. “Someone hacked the system and planted your names.”

Alexandra's blood ran cold. “Someone inside?”

“Maybe.”

Ash glanced at Alexandra. “That means someone knew who we really were. Or thought they did.”

She stiffened. “My identity is protected at the highest level.”

“Mine too,” Ash said quietly.

Maddox’s eyes glinted. “Which begs the question… what does Kass know that I don’t?”

--

Later, in the locker room, Alexandra sat alone. Her reflection in the mirror looked the same. Cold. Composed. Capable.

But her hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

“Hey,” Ash said from the doorway. “You okay?”

She looked up. “Do I look okay?”

He sat beside her. “You look like someone who just realized her past might not be as buried as she thought.”

“Do you ever wonder,” she said slowly, “if we’re just chess pieces? Moved by people who already wrote the ending?”

Ash was quiet for a moment.

Then: “Maybe. But if I’m a pawn, I plan on flipping the board before they crown the king.”

She didn’t smile.

But she didn’t leave either.

--

They both knew something had changed.

The mission was still on.

But now, they weren’t just hunting Chimera.

They were unraveling themselves.

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🌟 Main Characters (So Far)

1. Alexandra Vale – A brilliant, no-nonsense top military agent with a hidden ᒪᓰᖴᘿ ᗩS ᖶᕼᘿ Sᓍᒪᘿ ᕼᘿᓰᖇ ᖶᓍ ᖶᕼᘿ ᐺᗩᒪᘿ ᑢᓍᘉᘜᒪᓍᘻᘿᖇᗩᖶᘿ, ᓍᘉᘿ ᓍᖴ ᖶᕼᘿ ᘺᓍᖇᒪᕲ'S ᘻᓍSᖶ ᕵᓍᘺᘿᖇᖴᑘᒪ corporations.

2. Ash Rivera – A cocky, unpredictable agent with a roguish charm and Sᘿᑢᖇᘿᖶ ᖶᓰᘿS ᖶᓍ ᗩ ᕵᓍᘺᘿᖇᖴᑘᒪ ᖴᗩᘻᓰᒪᖻ ᗷᑘSᓰᘉᘿSS empire.

3. General Maddox – The cunning, iron-fisted head of the elite military agency “Black Echo,” who knows far more than he lets on.

4. Serena Vale – Alexandra’s aunt and a sharp-tongued socialite who secretly pulls strings in both the corporate and intelligence worlds.

5. Noah DeLeon – Ash’s best friend and field tech specialist who’s loyal, sarcastic, and probably knows too much for his own good.

6. "Chimera" – A mysterious arms dealer with a network across continents, now targeting something beyond weapons—he’s after legacies.

7. Director Lang – Head of an allied intelligence unit with ambiguous loyalty, often appearing when things go sideways.

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𝘏𝘪, 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘮𝘦. 𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘴𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘳? 𝘐'𝘮 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘐'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘴𝘰, 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴. 𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯!!!

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