The alley was silent except for the ragged breathing of the man Lucien had pinned against the wall. His arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, and the knife Lucien held against his cheek left a thin, shallow cut—just enough to make him realize that the man before him wasn't bluffing.
Evelyn stood a few feet away, watching everything unfold. She should have been horrified by Lucien's cold efficiency, by the way he handled the interrogation with zero hesitation, but instead… she found herself studying him.
There was something terrifyingly methodical about the way Lucien worked, as if he had done this a thousand times before. And deep down, she knew—he had.
"Where is your base?" Lucien's voice was quiet, but it carried an unshakable weight.
The man swallowed hard. "I—I don't know what you're—"
Lucien moved the blade lower, pressing lightly against the man's throat. His hand remained perfectly steady.
"You have three seconds."
The man's breath hitched. He wasn't sure if Lucien would actually kill him, but he wasn't willing to take the risk. "It's—outside of town. Old warehouse—near the river—"
Lucien didn't react at first, then with a small nod, he lowered the knife.
"I see."
And then, with a quick motion, he grabbed the man's wrist and snapped it.
A sharp scream tore through the alley as the man collapsed onto the ground, clutching his broken arm.
Evelyn flinched at the sound but didn't look away. She had long since stopped expecting mercy from Lucien.
Lucien turned toward her. "I'll take you home first."
That caught her off guard. "Wait, what? You're just going to—"
"You're not coming with me." His tone left no room for argument.
Evelyn clenched her fists. "I can help—"
Lucien's eyes locked onto hers, sharp and unwavering. "No."
It wasn't just an order. It was a statement of absolute certainty.
She wanted to argue, but she knew it would be useless. Lucien had already made up his mind.
With a quiet sigh, she allowed him to lead her out of the alley, past the trembling man on the ground, and toward the car.
---
The car ride was quiet.
Evelyn sat in the passenger seat, watching the faint glow of streetlights pass by. Lucien's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes fixed on the road. His usual blank expression was there, but something was different.
His mind was elsewhere. Planning. Calculating.
He was going into this alone.
She hated that.
"You don't have to do this alone," she muttered, breaking the silence.
Lucien didn't respond. He didn't even glance at her.
Evelyn frowned, turning her gaze toward him. "Lucien."
Nothing.
She sighed, crossing her arms. "Fine. Be an idiot, then."
Lucien's lips curled ever so slightly at her frustration, but he said nothing.
---
When they arrived at the house, Lucien stepped out first, walking around to Evelyn's side to open the door for her.
Evelyn raised an eyebrow. Since when was he this polite?
"You're actually opening the door for me?" she teased as she stepped out. "That's surprisingly gentlemanly of you."
Lucien didn't reply. He simply shut the door and turned toward the entrance, where someone was already waiting.
Richard Meyer.
The older man stood by the doorway, arms crossed, his sharp eyes scanning Lucien before settling on his daughter. There was something unreadable in his gaze.
Lucien gave him a small nod before stepping back toward the car. "Stay inside," he told Evelyn before walking away.
Evelyn watched as he disappeared into the night.
She hated this feeling—this uneasy, nagging sense of worry she had never felt before.
---
Richard watched his daughter carefully.
Something was different.
Evelyn was always composed, always carrying herself with a sense of control. But now, standing there in the dim porch light, she looked… unsettled.
Not just that.
She looked like she was waiting for something.
Richard exhaled quietly before speaking. "You're different tonight."
Evelyn didn't respond, her eyes still fixed on the road where Lucien had driven off.
Richard narrowed his gaze slightly. "Is there something I should know?"
Finally, Evelyn turned toward him.
She didn't answer his question. She simply stepped past him and walked inside, leaving Richard standing alone at the doorway.
But even as she entered the house, her mind wasn't inside those walls.
It was still out there. With him.
And for the first time in a long time, Evelyn felt uneasy about what she might lose.
---
End of Chapter 35.