Chapter 2 Disarm The Bomb

Through the car window, Kaelyn let her gaze drift over the courthouse sign, its stark letters blurring as the weight of the last three years pressed against her ribs.

Back then, she had tossed aside her entire life and stepped blindly into marriage. Now, the memory felt thin and unreal, almost something she could laugh at if it didn't sting so sharply.

"Let's go." Her voice came low and steady.

The car surged onto the main road, the city's noise rolling past in a muted rush.

A second phone vibrated in her bag, flashing an incoming video call.

She checked the caller ID, answered, and put the phone on the seat beside her.

"What is it?" she asked, leaning back as the screen lit up.

On the other end, amid frantic shouts and blaring alarms, Phillip Holt yelled over the chaos, "Regina, we've confirmed a new type of liquid bomb at Triad Mall. The place is packed. We need you now. If we pull this off, your chances of getting into the National Security Agency will skyrocket!"

Static crackled before he added breathlessly, "And once you're in, you'll finally have clearance to dig into that old case!"

Kaelyn's brow tightened, a familiar tension settling between her eyes.

He was right. Joining the National Security Agency had always been her true goal-one she'd buried for far too long.

If she was going to make a comeback, this was the perfect chance.

"I'll take the assignment," she stated without hesitation.

"Good. I'm connecting you to the feed now," Phillip said.

A faint crease formed between her brows.

Kaelyn slid off her glasses, unveiling eyes so sharp they cut through the dim interior of the car.

Her fingertips danced across the phone, and the vehicle's central screen lit up with the shaky live transmission.

The hostage on-screen looked moments from collapsing, his legs trembling beneath him.

A single device sat strapped against a load-bearing pillar, its indicator light pulsing like a heartbeat meant to intimidate.

Kaelyn leaned closer as she pressed. "This device is running on a sensor trigger. There are definitely more of them-at least ten scattered around the structure."

Phillip practically choked on his worry. "That's right. We located twelve secondary charges, but we can't move a single one. If even one goes off, the whole place collapses. The main timer's got one minute left. Can you defuse it?"

Kaelyn didn't answer.

Inside the car and across the chaotic scene, nothing cut through the tension except the steady, merciless tick of the countdown.

At sixteen seconds, the display blinked faster.

"Fifteen... fourteen..."

"Blue!"

"Blue!"

Her command clashed with a deep, steady male voice issuing the same instruction at nearly the same moment.

"Blue-now!" Phillip ordered his subordinates.

One of them cut the blue line, and the lock snapped open, the danger evaporating in a single breath.

A flicker of irritation passed through Kaelyn, barely visible but unmistakable.

"Mr. Holt, if you don't trust what I can do, don't hire me. If you do, then stop dragging anyone else into this," she muttered, her tone flat but edged.

She ended the call without hesitation.

From the clipped voice on the other end, she could almost pinpoint who it belonged to-Asura, her long-time rival who never missed a chance to challenge her. If he was trying to edge into the National Security Agency now, then he clearly hadn't changed.

Still, the spark of competition flared in her chest.

She'd let him have this round. But the next time they clashed, she planned to crush him.

In the Triad Mall lobby, Phillip shifted awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That woman's got a temper like live wire... but damn, her skill set is unmatched. Caleb, she's the only one who can keep up with you."

At his side, Caleb Morgan waited in a tailored black suit, the sleek suitcase at his feet hinting at a rushed arrival.

His tall, imposing frame radiated a cold edge, and the hard lines of his face-paired with those dark, brooding eyes-made his disdain impossible to miss.

"You dragged me out here after bringing someone else onto the case?"

Phillip scrambled to smooth things over, lifting his hands in a placating gesture. "I was afraid you wouldn't make it from the airport in time. With so many lives hanging in the balance, we can't afford any mistakes. How about I set up a quick introduction so you can meet Regina? I mean, I haven't actually seen her face, but with a body like that, she's got to be..."

"Seriously, Phillip? Are you trying to piss me off?" Caleb cut in, his voice low and warning, a chill settling over the space between them.

A cold prickle crawled down Phillip's spine, and he lifted both hands in surrender. "My mistake. Look... it's been nine years, and you're still hung up on her? She's married now-married to your own nephew. You planning to stay single for the rest of your life over a woman you can't have?"

A trace of something complicated flickered behind Caleb's usually unreadable eyes.

If he couldn't marry that woman, he'd rather spend his whole life alone.

Caleb steadied his breath and let his expression flatten, his gaze drifting toward the bomb squad as they worked through the remaining devices. After a beat, he steered the conversation away. "Any updates on the doctor they call Divine Cure?"

"Not a thing." Phillip gave a grim shake of his head. "I've been searching everywhere for three years. You've built that overseas medical facility, but you haven't found out the cure yet?"

A shadow passed through Caleb's eyes, but he offered no explanation. He simply turned and started toward the exit.

Phillip hurried to call after him, "Let me wrap things up here, and then we'll grab a drink."

"Forget it. I've got to go." Caleb's low reply drifted through the mall entrance as he walked out.

Phillip stood there, watching his retreating silhouette with growing suspicion. Under his breath, he grumbled, "What's got him sprinting off? Don't tell me he's rushing home to sneak a look at his nephew's wife?"