Retaliation didn't come with noise.
It came with silence.
That was what unsettled Cassian the most.
Professor Hale vanished from campus by noon. His lectures were cancelled without explanation. His office lights stayed off. His university email auto-replied with a polite message about "unexpected leave."
Too clean.
Too fast.
Men like Hale didn't retreat when confronted.
They repositioned.
Anabeth felt it the moment she stepped back into the apartment that evening. The air was wrong — not disturbed, not broken — just touched.
"Someone's been here," she said quietly.
Rafael stopped instantly, eyes scanning, body shifting into readiness. "Cassian?"
Cassian was already checking the door frame, the locks, the corners most people never looked at.
"No forced entry," Cassian said. "Which means keys. Or access."
Anabeth's stomach tightened. "Nothing looks missing."
"That's worse," Rafael replied.
They moved room by room. Nothing out of place. No broken drawers. No obvious signs.
Then Cassian stopped at the desk.
"There," he said.
A folder lay neatly centered on the surface.
Anabeth knew it didn't belong there.
Rafael picked it up slowly, opening it just enough to see the contents. His expression darkened.
"What is it?" Anabeth asked.
Rafael handed it to her.
Inside were printed photos.
Her schedule.
Her dorm room from last semester.
Her childhood home.
Her parents.
Her breath caught painfully in her chest.
"He went backward," Cassian said grimly. "That's a message."
Rafael's voice was steady, but cold. "He wants to remind us he can reach beyond campus."
Anabeth's hands trembled as she closed the folder. "My parents don't know anything."
"They won't," Rafael said immediately. "I won't allow it."
Cassian looked at the photos more closely. "These are recent. Surveillance-level recent."
Anabeth swallowed. "So he didn't disappear."
"No," Cassian said. "He moved closer."
That night, sleep didn't come easily.
Anabeth lay awake, staring at the ceiling, listening to the quiet rhythm of movement outside — guards changing shifts, distant traffic, the city breathing.
Rafael sat on the edge of the bed, back to her, silent.
"You're blaming yourself," she said softly.
He didn't turn. "I brought this into your life."
"You brought honesty," she replied. "The danger was already there."
He exhaled slowly. "That doesn't make it easier."
She sat up, placing her hand lightly on his back. He stiffened — then relaxed under the contact.
"You stood up to him," she said. "That matters."
He finally turned to look at her.
"What if standing up makes it worse?" he asked.
"Then we stand stronger," she replied.
Their eyes held. No words followed. They didn't need to.
Across town, Professor Hale sat in a dimly lit office that didn't belong to the university.
He studied the footage playing on the screen — Anabeth entering the apartment, Rafael beside her, Cassian scanning behind them.
Hale smiled faintly.
"So predictable," he murmured.
He made a call.
"I need pressure applied," he said calmly. "Not violence. Not yet. Academics. Reputation. Social exposure."
A pause.
"Yes. Tonight."
Back on campus, the first crack appeared.
Anabeth's phone buzzed nonstop during breakfast.
Group chats. Class forums. Anonymous posts.
Did you hear about Anabeth?
Apparently she's involved with criminals.
That guy following her isn't a student.
Administration is investigating.
Her chest tightened.
Cassian read over her shoulder. "That's Hale."
Rafael's jaw clenched. "He's poisoning perception."
"And isolating her," Cassian added. "Classic move."
By noon, Anabeth was summoned to the administration office.
Rafael immediately said, "No."
"I'm going," she replied calmly.
Cassian nodded. "We go with you."
The administrator smiled tightly as they entered. Too polite. Too rehearsed.
"We've received concerns," the woman said, folding her hands. "About your associations."
Anabeth kept her voice steady. "My associations?"
"There are rumors," the administrator continued. "And the university has a duty to ensure student safety."
Rafael leaned forward slightly. "Are you accusing her of misconduct?"
"Of course not," the woman replied quickly. "But appearances matter."
Anabeth felt anger rise — sharp, focused.
"So does truth," she said.
The meeting ended with no punishment — just warnings. Monitoring. "Temporary measures."
Outside, Anabeth's hands shook with fury.
"He's turning the campus against me," she said.
Cassian nodded. "He's testing how much pressure you can take."
Rafael looked at her. "You don't have to."
She met his gaze. "I won't break."
That night, Hale escalated.
A black car followed Anabeth as she walked between buildings with Cassian.
Not close.
Not threatening.
Just present.
Rafael saw it from across the quad.
That was the moment restraint snapped.
"Enough," Rafael said quietly.
Cassian's head turned. "Rafael—"
"No," Rafael interrupted. "He's pushing because he thinks I won't strike first."
Anabeth stepped closer. "What are you going to do?"
Rafael looked at her — not with anger, not jealousy — but with certainty.
"I'm going to remove his leverage," he said.
Cassian nodded slowly. "That means going into his network."
"Yes."
"And once you do," Cassian warned, "there's no clean exit."
Rafael's expression didn't change. "I'm not looking for one."
Later that night, Cassian sat at a terminal, fingers flying across keys.
"Hale's money moves through three shells," Cassian said. "Academic foundations. Consulting firms. All dirty."
Rafael stood behind him. "Find the pressure points."
Cassian paused. "If we expose this—"
"He won't hide behind a desk again," Rafael finished.
Anabeth watched them, realization settling in.
This wasn't just about her anymore.
This was war.
Her phone buzzed again.
Unknown Number:
You could end this by walking away.
She showed it to Rafael.
He smiled without humor. "He's afraid."
She typed back before either man could stop her.
So could you.
The reply came instantly.
Careful, Anabeth. Courage can be misinterpreted.
She locked the phone.
"No more messages," Rafael said firmly. "From now on, he talks to me."
She nodded.
Outside, the black car idled — then drove away.
Retaliation had been answered.
And now the board was set.
Professor Hale had tried to isolate her.
Instead, he had unified them.
And unity, Anabeth realized, was far more dangerous than fear.