Fractures Beneath Loyalty
At that mont, Liza Voss could not hold it in any longer.
The question burned in her throat.
Her fingers tightened around the folder as she turned halfway back toward Julian’s office door. The words about her father were already rising—
—but the instant she parted her lips, her voice refused to co out.
It was as if sothing invisible pressed against her vocal cords.
She stood there for a second too long.
Then she forced herself to leave.
The hallway outside felt unusually long. The polished floor reflected her silhouette in distorted fragnts. Her steps were steady, but inside, her thoughts were chaos.
She had grown up within the Obsidian Wing organization.
Raised among steel corridors and discipline.
Personally trained by Evan’s master.
Her loyalty to the Obsidian King had never wavered.
And yet—
She was an orphan.
No past. No surna beyond the one assigned to her.
For years, she had secretly investigated her own origins. Late-night database intrusions. Silent questions to retired operatives. Traces that always led nowhere.
Her parents did not exist.
Not in records.
Not in history.
As if they had been erased from the world.
She had almost given up.
Almost accepted that so truths were buried forever.
But today—
Julian’s careless inner words had shattered that resignation.
The calm she had forced herself into only monts ago fractured like thin ice underfoot.
"How much does he actually know?"
Her brows drew together, a tight crease forming between them.
"Why is the Obsidian King my enemy?"
"And what does this have to do with the D’Aurelius household?"
The questions tangled in her mind like thorned vines, each thought catching on the next until it beca impossible to separate them. The more she tried to pull one thread free, the deeper the confusion seed to grow.
She exhaled slowly through her nose.
Focus.
Running in circles wouldn’t help anyone.
First step—investigate the D’Aurelius household.
If they truly had dealings with her father, there would be evidence sowhere. There always was. Financial archives. Charity donations. Internal transfers hidden beneath layers of paperwork.
Money left footprints, no matter how carefully people tried to hide them.
There had to be sothing.
Her phone suddenly vibrated in her hand.
The screen lit up.
Evan.
A mont passed before her eyes locked on the na.
Off she went, striding fast across the office floor, shoving past the stairwell door till the roof took her in. Behind, the thick tal door crashed closed, echoing like a drum struck once.
Faster than a blink, icy air tore through, snapping her stray hairs into stinging lashes against skin.
Below her, the city unfolded - roads threading between tall buildings made of glass and tal. Tiny vehicles crept forward, moving slow. Up here, sound faded to a soft murmur, almost like silence was speaking instead.
She answered the call.
"Obsidian King, what are your orders?"
Her tone was calm. Professional.
The way soone spoke to power.
"Liza," Evan’s voice flowed through the phone, smooth and controlled, yet carrying the faint weight of command. "How is the investigation progressing?"
For a mont, she didn’t respond.
Her eyes drifted over the city lights flickering below.
"I’ve obtained the first set of information," she said at last. "I’ll send it to you later."
"Good."
The word ca easily from him, almost lazily.
But the satisfaction in his tone was unmistakable.
"You always make feel at ease."
She could practically see him leaning back sowhere, confident, amused, completely certain the world would unfold exactly the way he expected.
He paused for a mont before speaking again, his voice dipping slightly—lower, more playful.
"As long as you complete the task before Lina Ashford, you can beco my woman before her."
The wind suddenly felt colder.
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
For so reason—
She did not feel pleased.
Did not feel flattered.
A dream she’d held onto tightly began to feel hollow. As if running after sothing bright that faded long ago.
Out of nowhere, Julian’s inner voice echoed back.
"That one you trust most hides the knife."
A shape stayed close, much like thoughts that refuse to leave. She carried it without choice.
Silence hung there, until a quiet hmm broke it. His words edged sharper, just a touch. Curiosity leaked into the space between calm syllables.
Her eyes flicked open, pulling her into now.
"Soone just ca in," she replied quickly. "I didn’t hear you clearly. I’ll go deliver the information first."
A silence ca through the line, maybe because he wanted to say another thing.
She just moved too fast for him to respond.
She hung up.
The call ended.
A hush settled on the roof, broken only by gusts sweeping through.
A mont passed before she moved at all, eyes fixed on the sprawl below. Then stillness took her again, gaze locked past rooftops into the distance.
After a quiet pause, her head moved gently from side to side, brushing away what had stayed too long in her mind.
Focus.
A flicker of movent brought the phone back into her hands. Snap by snap, it saved what Julian made before - those false papers now flashing across the screen. She tilted the device slightly, just enough to straighten each shot. Light bounced once off the edge of a lamp. Pages lined up one after another, sharp and still, tucked behind glass like pinned leaves.
Downstairs ca next after sliding the phone into her pocket. Once done, she moved without hurry.
Footsteps echoed softer here, heat rising from floor vents while voices seeped through door cracks. Machines clicked behind walls like distant clocks ticking.
Finding her way back to Julian’s office, there he sat, settled once more at his desk.
Typing rapidly.
Fingers danced over keys, swift from habit, while tiny clicks echoed through the hush. The stillness swallowed each sound just as fast as it ca.
More fake information.
Seeing her co back, he grinned slightly.
[This silly girl definitely copied it. Hilarious.]
[People say big boobs an no brains, but even with her A-cup, her IQ isn’t impressive.]
[No wonder she’s been deceived by Evan and that old master for years.]
Liza’s mouth twitched.
Can you stop ntioning that?
Her patience thinned to a thread.
But when he ntioned Evan’s master—
Her heart skipped.
He even knew about the old man.
That information was sealed within the Obsidian Wing’s highest tier.
After finishing the forged docunts, Julian leaned back and stretched lazily, arms raised behind his head.
The afternoon light outlined his sharp profile—black hair slightly tousled, golden eyes reflecting quiet calculation.
He looked relaxed.
Too relaxed.
He glanced at her and thought for a mont.
"By the way," he said casually, voice smooth, "the company plans to enter the gaming business soon. I need you to help with so research."
His tone was light.
Almost playful.
But beneath it—
The chessboard had already been laid out.
And Liza knew—
This was no longer just an infiltration mission.
It was a battle of minds.
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