Chapter 3

When Professor Harrison saw me at the hangar, he gasped. "Just one suitcase?"

"Yes. Only the essentials. I left the past behind, Professor. I know there's no turning back once we start."

The Professor personally escorted me to the military transport plane. Before boarding, I took out my phone, snapped the SIM card in half, and tossed it into a disposal bin. My new encrypted number would only be known to the Professor and my handler.

I deleted every social media account, every email address. I was stepping onto that plane with a completely fabricated identity, ready to start a new life under the shadows.

Ten years later.

In my tenth year deep undercover abroad, I successfully intercepted a critical piece of intelligence from a hostile syndicate, foiling their plot. But I took a bullet in the shoulder during the extraction.

Because of my highly classified status, I couldn't return to the US for treatment. I had to stay in a secure, covert hospital in Europe.

On the day I was discharged, I ran into a ghost from my past in the lobby.

The woman stopped dead in her tracks, staring at me. "Evelyn? Is that you?!"

Ten years. I couldn't believe she recognized me. But I kept my face entirely blank.

"I think you have the wrong person. Excuse me."

As I tried to walk past her, she grabbed my arm. "Don't play dumb! Julian has been searching the entire world for you for the last ten years. I've seen your picture a thousand times. I know it's you!"

I looked at her, letting out a polite, slightly amused chuckle. "Look, I get that seeing another Asian face in a foreign country makes you want to connect, but I am really not who you think I am. Look closely."

I stood perfectly still, letting her inspect my face.

After a few tense seconds, her confidence crumbled. She looked confused, then deeply embarrassed.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry. You look incredibly similar, but... your eyes, your voice... they're different."

"No worries. It happens," I said with a polite nod, then walked away.

The moment I turned the corner, I took a stealth photo of her with my watch camera and transmitted it to our tech team.

I wasn't operating alone. Anyone who had ever been associated with my past life who suddenly appeared near me had to be thoroughly vetted.

Ten years ago, Julian had kicked her out of our apartment. Her name was Chloe. She must have obsessed over my face ever since.

Hearing Julian's name again caused a tiny ripple in my chest, but I suppressed it instantly.

The mission was in its final, most critical phase. The slightest mistake could destroy ten years of work. I couldn't afford to be distracted.

Before going deep undercover, I had undergone subtle facial reconstructive surgery and vocal chord therapy. There was no way she could truly identify me.

Back at my safehouse, my secure tablet buzzed. The report on Chloe came in—she was simply visiting a sick relative in the hospital. Her background check was clean.

I let out a breath. Good. If she had been a threat, I would have had to neutralize her myself.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, came before the safety of my country.

I spent the next week recovering at home.

With no missions and no interruptions, it was the most peaceful week I had experienced in a decade.

For the past ten years, the hardest part wasn't the danger. It was the crushing, endless loneliness. But I had adapted to the dark. Being alone in my own world wasn't so bad anymore.

A week later, my partner moved into the safehouse to assist with my recovery. To the outside world, we were a married couple.

The entire neighborhood was a secured zone under our surveillance.

"Once this operation wraps up, the Agency is pulling you back to Langley," my partner said as he prepped dinner. "Your new civilian identity is already set. They won't suspect a thing."

I stared out the window, deep in thought. "Don't let your guard down. The syndicate isn't stupid."

"I know."

But just as we were preparing our final extraction plan, the house across the street got new tenants.

I was taking out the trash when the front door of the opposite house opened. I didn't have time to hide. I ran straight into him.

And standing right next to him was Chloe.

The moment she saw me, her face lit up. "Julian, look! I told you they looked exactly the same! If I didn't know better, I'd think they were identical twins!"

In that split second, my fists clenched inside my jacket pockets. I regretted not having her quietly dealt with last week.

Julian was dressed in a sharp, casual suit. He looked older, his face etched with a complex mix of shock and longing. He took a sudden, desperate step toward me.

My heart hammered against my ribs.

But before he could reach me, a strong arm wrapped around my waist from behind, pulling me into a warm, familiar embrace.

"Hey, sweetheart. I'm home."