Between Two Kings.
Flight back to Zurich
As the jet landed, Eric stood on the tarmac, ready to receive them. He approached the car with his usual composure and extended his hand to take Damien's briefcase.
"Welcome back, sir. How was the trip? Hope it went well," Eric said with a polite smile.
Damien didn't answer. He just shot Eric a dark, withering glare before brushing past him, his footsteps sharp and purposeful.
Eric blinked, then smirked slightly as he watched Damien storm away.
Uh-oh.
Whatever had happened on that trip, Eva was clearly at the center of it. He could tell how frustrated and angry he looks, only God knew what Eva did to him to return with such face.
And judging from Damien's thundercloud expression, it must have been bad.
Eva
Eva was just about to leave for work, her heels clicking across the pavement, when Victor suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking her path like a storm cloud.
"Where are you coming from, Ana?" His voice was sharp, his eyes burning with suspicion.
She froze, then gave a short, bitter laugh. "What do you care?"
Victor's lips curled into a smug simper. "Don't play coy with me. Did you really go on a trip with Damian Lopez?"
Her jaw tightened. "It's none of your business."
Victor chuckled again, darker this time, his voice dipping with menace. "None of my business? Did you really just say that?" He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Do you realize you're playing with fire? You're hanging out with a Lopez, Dexter's worst enemy. The only people powerful enough to bring him down."
He stepped around her, his voice turning deadly. "And let's not forget... no one ever learns where Dexter lives and lives to tell the tale. No one, except you. You, Ana, you know about his hideouts, his secrets. And yet, he let you live."
Eva's breath caught in her throat, but she stood her ground.
Victor's voice sharpened like a blade. "And now you're cozying up with a Lopez? Are you tired of living? Do you want Dexter to annihilate you and your family?"
Her fists clenched. "Are you threatening me?" she spat. "Listen to me, Vic. I don't belong to Dexter. I'm not part of his damn syndicate. He used us. He forced me to steal that code from the Lopez to repay a debt that he hung around our necks like a noose!"
She took a step forward, her voice trembling with rage and pain. "I gave him what he wanted. I paid with blood and fear. That code was the price of freedom. My freedom. So now_ yes_ I'll go where I want. Meet who I want. And if Dexter wants to come after me for it, then let him come. I'm done living in fear!"
Victor's face darkened, but she wasn't finished.
"And you," she hissed, "Stop poking your nose into my life like you have some right!"
"Oh, I see what this is," he sneered, arms folding. "So you are so powerful now, you are not even scared of Dexter? I get it, this is about him, isn't it? Your precious Damian. You think I didn't notice how the lines blurred between you two back then? You think I didn't know you took him more than just an operation? Everything you did back then I saw, including how you were getting cozy with him"
She flinched, eyes narrowing. "That was for the operation. Everything I did_ every single thing_ was for the success of the mission."
"Liar," he snapped. "Look me in the eyes, Ana. Look at me and tell me you don't feel anything for him."
"I'm done talking to you, Victor," she said icily. "It disgusts me to even breathe the same air as a man who claims to be a friend, yet tried to take advantage of me the moment I asked for help. You're no better than the monster we all tried to escape."
And with that, she turned and walked away, her spine stiff, her heart pounding.
Victor's voice followed her like a curse.
"I see," he called after her. "So this is how you want to play it huh? Fine Ana. No problem. I'll play it your way, But you'll see. You'll crawl back to me. You'll beg, on your knees Ana_ to be mine."
Without turning, Eva tossed the words over her shoulder like a blade: "Dream on."
"Really? Well see, just wait. You'll see the real Victor, I am going full-blown vilian."
But she kept walking, faster, colder, stronger, with every step.
Eva had just closed from work. It was late, much later than usual, and exhaustion tugged at every bone in her body. Her heels felt heavier with each step as she gathered her things, ready to finally leave for the day. The office, once bustling, was now quiet with the dim hum of machines powering down and the occasional click of closing laptops.
She had been about to sign out at the front desk, just like everyone else, when Eric appeared beside her desk, a slight tilt to his voice that hinted at one of his infamous last-minute favors.
"Eva," he said, "Just a quick one. The boss needs something light to eat for dinner. Could you... help with that?"
She blinked at him. "Right now?"
"Please," he added quickly, his tone earnest. "He hasn't eaten all day."
She hesitated. She wasn't his assistant. But she was Eva Myles, the woman everyone silently expected to bend for the sake of perfection, especially where Damien Lopez was concerned.
"Alright," she breathed, against her better judgment.
Eric thanked her, almost too casually, before adding, "Oh, and he only eats food made from fresh ingredients. Nothing stale, nothing from yesterday. You know how he is."
Eva stared at him, stunned. "You're telling me this now?"
He offered an apologetic smile, already backing away. "You're the only one I trust to do this right."
And just like that, she found herself waiting behind as her colleagues signed out and left in groups, chatting softly as they disappeared into the night. She didn't want rumors, couldn't afford them, so she stayed back alone, heart pounding with annoyance and resignation.
By the time she returned from the market, arms weighed down with fresh vegetables and spices, the clock had already ticked past 7 p.m. The kitchen was empty, the fluorescent lights casting a sterile glow over the spotless countertops. She worked in silence, slicing, boiling, and seasoning, her hair tied back, her thoughts running wild.
It was almost 9 p.m. by the time she was done. The dish smelled heavenly, a light, savory stew with hand-rolled dumplings and grilled plantains, something comforting, satisfying, warm. She packed it carefully into a thermos, the heat still rising in delicate curls, and handed it to Eric, who'd reappeared just in time.
"Thanks," he said, taking it with a strange look in his eyes. "I have to run an errand, but I'll make sure he gets it."
She only nodded, too tired to question anything.
By then, the building was practically deserted. Aside from Morgan's Zero-Codes team working late on a deadline, she knew the only other people inside were Damien, and Eric, at least until now.
Eva returned to her desk, packed up her things in silence, and slung her bag over her shoulder. She was emotionally and physically spent, the kind of weariness that no amount of sleep could truly fix.
As she stepped into the corridor, her phone beeped.
She paused.
The screen lit up with a message she wasn't expecting.
Curious and tired, she unlocked the screen, only to freeze in place.
And just like that, her pulse quickened.
It was a video message. From Victor.
Her heart thudded.
With trembling fingers, she tapped play.
A few seconds in, her bag slipped from her shoulder and hit the ground with a soft thud. Her breath caught in her throat, her pulse surged. What she saw made the blood drain from her face.
It was Damien_ Damien Lopez_ standing alone in the company's public elevator, calm and unaware, his hands tucked into his pockets as he waited for the doors to close.
Just then, another message popped up.
"This is to warn you that I am not to be trifled with. Keep playing stubborn, and don't blame me if I decide to remove your untouchable boyfriend from the picture."
Her entire body stiffened. For a moment, she couldn't breathe. No, this couldn't be happening.
Eva knew that elevator. The public one, older, slower, not as secure. Damien never used it. He always took the private one. Always.
But today... maybe the building had been quiet enough that he didn't bother. Maybe he just wanted to use it for reasons best known to him, but the bottom line was he was in danger.
Panic gripped her.
And then, without thinking, Eva ran.
She bolted down the hallway like something had taken over her. The sharp echo of her heels on the tiles faded behind the frantic pounding of her heart. She didn't stop to think. She couldn't. Every step felt like it might be too late.
Her chest was heaving by the time she reached the elevator bank. Her fingers slammed against the call button. The light blinked, then the doors began to slide open.
And there he was.
Damien.
Standing inside the elevator, eyes closed as though deep in thought, calm, completely unaware.
His eyes fluttered open at the sound of the doors, and when they locked onto hers, wide with panic, brimming with unshed tears, he frowned.
But before he could say a word, Eva ran straight in.
She threw herself into his arms and wrapped him in a fierce, trembling hug. Her grip was tight, like she was trying to protect him from the world, from something unseen. Her chest rose and fell in jagged waves as she tried to speak but failed. Her fingers clung to the back of his suit like she might never get another chance.
Damien stood frozen.