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While the world slept in peaceful silence beneath the silver glow of the full moon, a girl limped down a tree-shrouded road, her breath shallow, her eyes wide with fear.
The night was still, almost too still — as if the darkness itself held its breath.
Barefoot and trembling, she stumbled forward, her long shadow chasing her in the moonlight. Her heart pounded like a drumbeat in her ears, drowning out the rustle of leaves and the distant hoot of an owl.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHo8IX5CXQr
She kept looking over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the darkness behind her — as if something, or someone, was following her.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRk5wPEAz53
The road was empty, but her terror made it feel crowded — with memories, with danger, with whispers that only she could hear. The echo of police sirens still rang in her ears — distant, yet sharp enough to stab through the silence of the night. 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMTX85GO17
She kept running, her steps uneven, her breaths short and panicked. She didn’t know where she was… or where she was going. All she knew was that she had to keep moving. Terror had taken full control of her body. Her legs were trembling, her throat was dry, and despite the biting cold of the winter night, sweat trickled down her forehead and spine. Her clothes clung to her skin — damp, heavy, and cold. 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5QROdIcr1
Her mind was a blur, flashing only one desperate thought: “Don’t stop. Don’t let them catch you.” But the darkness stretched endlessly ahead, and every shadow seemed like a threat waiting to pounce.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkzB0RTW93
Suddenly, headlights cut through the darkness like knives — a car was approaching.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulJFUrwi7s
Her breath hitched. Without a second thought, she darted off the road and threw herself behind a cluster of trees, the cold earth biting into her knees as she crouched low. She didn’t dare move. She pressed herself tightly against the bark, clutching her bag to her chest as if it were her only lifeline — because it was.............. Inside that worn, dirt-stained bag was everything.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aBgi5ZclH
Everything that could save her.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0c6K72Qf8
Everything that could prove she wasn’t guilty.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdIYd7AJ5zl
Everything they would kill to hide.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2VC6iaS6gz
Her pulse thudded in her ears louder than the car engine now rolling past. She didn’t blink. She didn’t breathe. The night was still again, but her world was anything but. Clutching the bag tightly in her hands, she shut her eyes — trying to block out the world, but her mind betrayed her. Images from just hours ago came crashing back like a tidal wave. She could still hear it. Her grandfather’s voice — broken, desperate, screaming in her ear:48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmTXedfEqQ
“Run! Save yourself! Go, now!”48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdhHUqJjBO
The memory tore through her like a blade. His cries echoed in her head, louder than the wind, sharper than the cold. Her chest rose and fell with shaky breaths, her nails digging into the fabric of the bag like it was the only thing keeping her anchored to this moment. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. She couldn’t afford to break now. She was alive. But at what cost? Instead of returning to the road, she rose slowly from behind the trees and turned toward the forest. The shadows between the trees felt safer than the headlights of any car. She knew it was dangerous. The woods were cold, wild, and full of unknowns. But something about the road — exposed, open, vulnerable — felt far more terrifying. At least in the forest, she could disappear. Each step into the underbrush was like stepping deeper into another world — a world of rustling leaves, whispering branches, and hidden things that watched from the dark. But she didn’t stop. She couldn’t. 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnQVbPx7eLM
“Better to face the night than the people hunting me,” 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkmDtZwqbgV
she thought, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth. She would find a place to hide.... Somewhere no one would look.....48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXaRcrQbHBt
Somewhere she could breathe… at least for a little while.
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It was a lavish TV lounge — quiet, dimly lit, soaked in the golden glow of the fireplace. Through the tall glass window, one could see a man sitting with his back to the world, facing the flickering flames.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfad4Y9XDzb
He didn’t turn. 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3COiSiFX0
Not even as the television behind him blared breaking news, filled with urgency and chaos. His posture was calm. Too calm. A half-burnt cigar rested between his fingers, its smoke curling lazily into the air like it had nowhere to be. 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXWjDKHREY
His other hand rested on the armrest, fingers tapping slowly — rhythmically, like a man lost in deep calculation.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmRcE7ysYR
His face remained hidden in shadow, but his silence spoke volumes. 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRK7jEjPli
Not a flinch. Not a word.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEvUiBj0Axo
As if the chaos on screen… had nothing to do with him.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHiRLLzBnjt
Suddenly, the phone on the sleek glass coffee table beside him began to ring.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnJtGYHa9R9
He didn’t glance at the screen. With practiced ease, he tapped to answer and switched on the speaker.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3anBcD8GC
His voice broke the silence — deep, commanding, and laced with restrained fury. "I’ve seen the news. What happened… is deeply unfortunate. Find the girl. Fast. She’s the only one who can tell us how one of our most loyal, long-standing agents ended up dead." He didn’t wait for a reply.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHzJpSJG2H
Before the voice on the other end could respond, he ended the call with a swift tap —then stood up, the dying cigar dropping into the ashtray like a period at the end of a sentence.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhoOGQgEIBx
He moved toward the window, standing still as the night outside stared back at him. His hands slid into the pockets of his tailored trousers, his broad shoulders rising and falling with a quiet breath.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIMIc16OLZu
Then, for the first time — his face came into view. Jet-black hair swept neatly back from his forehead, revealing intense, dark eyes lost in thought. His features were sharp and striking — a perfectly carved jawline, a high-bridged nose, and skin fair and smooth, almost glowing under the soft light.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jToKLeQqp
He was tall — towering at 6’3" — with a naturally powerful build that hinted at both strength and discipline.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBsb8zPyCw
A man of beauty… and danger. 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnNRrBVNnh
But in this moment, he wasn't thinking about power or appearance. He stared through the glass into the dark beyond, his mind caught in a web of questions… and perhaps something deeper.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAF8ERLPxGN
He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling with a hint of frustration. Without another thought, he grabbed his phone, scrolling through the contacts. His finger paused at the very first name in the list, and with a steady hand, he tapped it. The phone rang. He sat back, eyes fixed ahead, waiting for the other side to pick up 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVIF8zs5UuX
Suddenly, a groggy, annoyed voice came through the phone, thick with sleep and irritation. 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOFk3xPmnT
"Grayson, seriously? It’s not necessary for you to be awake at this hour. Normal people are asleep right now, not running around at 2 AM." 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbEG9fPRiDO
The voice on the other end sounded like someone who had just been pulled from a deep sleep — disoriented, yet unmistakably familiar.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGHFOr4t44
Grayson knew this tone all too well. Max Bennett, always half-awake but never without a quick comment. Grayson’s lips curled into a smirk. Grayson let out a light chuckle, his voice calm but carrying a sharp edge.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOmp1uzyvrB
"When did you become the ‘good guy’?" “And come on, you're my friend. You know that aside from you, I don’t talk to anyone with this much... carelessness.”48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPQwA0abAZ
The sarcasm in his tone was unmistakable — a mix of teasing and a hint of deeper meaning. It was a strange comfort, this banter with Max, even in the middle of chaos.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOeqHB5O7dV
Max let out a dramatic sigh and replied, 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLrnu3J3Ju
"This is what I get for being your one and only best friend, huh? First, you wake me up in the middle of the night… and now this. People say a wife makes your life miserable, but here my best friend is trying his best to fill that role himself!"48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuC5XHuLwtp
His voice was teasing, full of mock misery — but it was clear he was used to this. Grayson calling at odd hours? Typical. 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouqdFJhwKu
"Get to the point, buddy," Max mumbled, half-asleep, "I didn’t lose my beauty sleep just to have a midnight romance with you. So if you’re done with the sweet talk, can we please talk business now?"48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBXwlF1tyI
His tone was dry, playful, and filled with that lazy annoyance only a true friend could get away with. He shifted under his blanket, clearly still clinging to the last bits of sleep.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggFsggv9lM
Grayson gave a small shake of his head — the kind that said “There’s no saving this guy” — and replied in a cool, effortless tone,48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZD1OaefZY
"Let’s go hunting tomorrow. It’s been a while since the two brothers went on a proper chase together. So… what do you say? 7 a.m.?"48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRojJXOFgE
As he spoke, he walked back to the single-seater sofa in front of the fireplace — the same place he had been sitting a while ago — and sank into it again, his voice steady, eyes glowing with something deeper. 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcAfphpb918
Max let out a sleepy grunt in response… and then fell silent.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIRlawDIZM
Grayson didn’t wait for more. He ended the call without another word, slid the phone into his pocket, and stood up.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUoe8w6IySX
With calm, measured steps, he walked out of the TV lounge and towards the staircase leading upward. 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TO8hCCUlR
The house was warm and peaceful — a stark contrast to the cold night outside — thanks to the soft hum of the central heating. Upstairs, he walked down the hallway and stepped into the room directly across from his own.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgmYojEnBA
It was a space unlike any other in the house — lined with weapons that gleamed under soft ceiling lights. Expensive rifles, handguns, and rare collector pieces hung neatly on the walls, each displayed with care.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOSvcE2NbI4
But it didn’t take a trained eye to know — these weren’t just for show.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJVIUOVkPOl
There were subtle signs: worn grips, faint scratches, a few cases left slightly ajar. These guns had history. They had been used.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1bGJ0aoLa
And the man standing in the middle of it all?48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEeBxi4INe
He knew exactly how to use every single one of them. Grayson’s eyes scanned the array of weapons before him, a brief moment of admiration for the precision and power they represented.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcRKaf2GCp1
His gaze landed on a particular rifle — the Sako 90S Adventure. He reached out and carefully lifted it, inspecting the sleek metal and well-crafted design.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgygArj5IDd
This was his weapon of choice for tomorrow's hunt. The perfect balance of power, precision, and reliability.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRv1V70VTwo
"Tomorrow," he muttered to himself, running a finger along the barrel, "it’ll be this one."48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8ESd1OPYUw
The feeling of the gun in his hands was familiar, like an old friend ready for action. Grayson could already picture Max’s sulky face after losing — and just the thought of it made him smirk.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuQHH4ZdQF
There was a special kind of satisfaction in beating Max, especially when it came to hunting. And teasing him afterward? That was the real prize.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPZSQRMASNG
They had been best friends since childhood, and everyone in the agency knew it well. 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgPYowiylu
Their bond wasn’t just strong — it was legendary.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kfEC9CiGs
No matter how serious things got, there was always room for a little mischief between the two. And tomorrow, Grayson planned to enjoy every second of it. With a soft smile still playing on his lips, Grayson set the rifle back in its place and quietly closed the door to the weapon room.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSgJFOV7Fu
He walked into his bedroom — a space that reflected both discipline and comfort.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmz1oTrKRmR
On either side of the entrance, shelves lined the walls, filled with books of all kinds. A couch sat nearby, perfect for late-night reading or quiet thinking.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDseeBGMktU
He stepped in, shut the door behind him, and made his way to the bookshelf. Picking up a book that had been left on the table, he carefully slid it back into its place. Then, with a quiet sigh, he moved to the bed and lay down.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhO1ja6Y4c
The room was softly lit by wall lamps placed strategically around, casting a warm golden hue. Hanging above the bed was a grand, elegant chandelier that added a touch of timeless beauty.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu8jkHNb2Gt
On the bedside table to his left sat a framed photo of him and Max — a frozen memory of laughter and brotherhood.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IwpwxBEJw
On the other side, another frame stood silently: a picture of his parents...........That was it.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmzsZYlc44s
His people. His home. His heart. 48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqKVREp566
He pulled the blanket over himself, letting the warmth settle in around him. With his eyes closed, the weight of the day slowly melted away.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBgAVjO56U
The quiet hum of the heater, the soft glow of the lamps, and the comfort of familiar memories all wrapped around him like a lullaby.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEobCCWk9l
And soon...48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTTPmWzJ68p
Grayson was fast asleep.48Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5A2ZyaH9GQ
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