Noah toyed with his glass for a moment before speaking, his voice quieter than usual—measured, almost hesitant.
"…At first, I was just following in my parents' footsteps. They were investigating a drug spreading among teens in the US, UK, and Canada. Called the 'Smart Pill.'"
He took a sip, then continued slowly.
"It's something you can get without a prescription—lets you focus for 48 hours straight without sleep. But it wasn't just some street drug. There was a private distribution network, used only by elite kids. And behind that… there was the scent of government involvement."
Celeste said nothing, simply watching him. Noah's gaze faltered for a second.
"My parents… they said they'd secured a one-on-one interview. With a major dealer. In Korea. It was supposed to be the breakthrough."
He paused.
"That was the last I ever heard from them."
His hand came up to his mouth, and he dropped his head, as if pressing the memory down.
"I thought… if no one else was going to finish what they started, then I would. I began digging. Quietly. Carefully. But then… everything around me started going silent. Files went missing. People stopped picking up. Eventually, the network cut me loose."
He exhaled deeply, as though bracing himself for something heavier.
"It was… overwhelming. But then I stumbled on a news piece about you. And I followed the trail. One article after another… and things didn't add up."
He tilted his head, meeting her eyes.
"Every deal, every partnership—it always ended up in your favor. And no offense, but no one's that good. I remembered the first time you used that… skill on me."
The air thickened. Celeste didn't move.
"…If your ability really affects people's minds—and it didn't work on me—that's when the puzzle pieces started to fall into place."
Noah gave a faint, crooked smile. Bitterness crept in.
"…That's why I need your power now. Desperately."
There was no malice in his voice—just weariness.
"I'm sorry,"
he added softly.
"For everything I said back then. I was a brat. I mean it. I'm sorry."
He bowed his head. The rims of his eyes had gone red.
"I just… I want to know the truth. If my parents are alive—where they are. If they're dead—who killed them. How. I never even got to say goodbye. I never even found their bodies."
His voice trembled, grief surging up from somewhere long buried.
"If I had known that was the end... I wouldn't have been such a damn fool."
Celeste didn't interrupt. Her gaze held his, quietly listening as his walls crumbled.
"So please. Just this once… help me. I can't do this alone anymore."
She closed her eyes for a moment. Then nodded slowly.
"…Alright. I'll help you—as far as I can. But you know what this means, don't you? We're walking straight into something dangerous."
Noah gave a small nod of acknowledgment. Then, from the inside pocket of his jacket, he pulled out a microSD card and handed it to her.
"I'm sorry for blackmailing you. This is the last original file I had—about you and Daniel. No backups. No copies. It's over."
Celeste took it without a word and slipped it into her pocket.
"I'm on your side now. No more secrets."
"Thank you,"
she said simply.
"For the apology. And for being honest."
Noah let out a sigh and then gave her a familiar, teasing grin.
"So… about that. Any chance I can crash here? I'm so done with hotel beds."
Celeste laughed quietly, raising her glass.
"This place is too far out. But there's a spare staff unit on the 15th floor back at HQ. And we can assign you a press room on 10th."
Noah's eyes lit up.
"Start by building a small team,"
she added.
"Three or four people max. Ones you trust. Ones who move like an extension of you."
He nodded deeply, the tension between them finally dissolving.
There was no more deception between them now. No more walls.