Ethan:
The house had gone quiet again.
Not the peaceful kind of quiet—
But the kind that carried weight.
Ethan stood in the study room, the dim yellow lights casting long shadows across the walls. The heavy wooden desk in front of him was already scattered with files, a laptop, and a glass of untouched alcohol sitting near the edge.
His phone buzzed in his hand.
Luca.
Ethan picked it up without hesitation.
"…Yeah."
"I dropped her," Luca's voice came from the other end, calm but slightly tired. "She's at the hotel."
Ethan walked slowly toward the desk, his gaze unfocused for a second before sharpening again.
"She awake?"
"No," Luca replied. "Barely conscious."
A small pause.
"Should I stay?"
Ethan didn't answer immediately.
His eyes moved toward the door of the study for a brief second—
Then back to the files in front of him.
"No," he said finally. "Come back."
"Alright."
Another short pause.
"…Something wrong?" Luca asked.
Ethan's expression didn't change.
"We have work."
That was enough.
"I'll be there," Luca said.
The call ended.
---
Ethan placed the phone down slowly.
Then exhaled.
The shift was immediate.
Whatever had been lingering in his mind before—
About Yuna, about her questions, about everything—
Was pushed aside.
Locked away.
Because this—
This was something he understood.
Something clear.
Simple.
A target.
A task.
An outcome.
---
He opened the file Kai had sent.
The man's face stared back at him from the screen.
Cold.
Calculated.
A known figure in the underground network.
Not small.
Not careless.
Dangerous.
Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly as he read through the details.
Illegal dealings.
Trafficking.
Money routes.
Connections to rival groups.
And most importantly—
Enough proof.
Enough justification.
Not that he needed it.
But Luca always did.
And it mattered.
For control.
For protection.
---
The clock on the wall ticked softly.
Minutes passing.
Then—
Footsteps.
Approaching.
A knock followed.
Sharp.
Precise.
Ethan didn't look up.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Luca stepped inside.
His expression serious.
Focused.
No trace of earlier irritation.
Just business.
He closed the door behind him.
Walked toward the desk.
"You got the details?"
Ethan slid a file across the table.
"Read."
Luca picked it up.
His eyes scanning quickly.
Silently.
The room filled with nothing but the sound of paper shifting and the faint ticking of the clock.
---
"…He's not small," Luca said after a moment.
"I know."
"He's connected."
"I know."
Luca looked up.
"…Then this won't be simple."
Ethan leaned back slightly in his chair.
"It doesn't need to be simple."
"It needs to be clean," Luca replied.
A brief silence.
Then Ethan nodded slightly.
"Which is why we're doing it ourselves."
---
Luca placed the file down.
"Location?"
"Warehouse district," Ethan replied. "He moves between two locations. One official, one not."
"Security?"
"Heavily guarded."
"How many?"
"Enough."
Luca exhaled slowly.
"…That's not helpful."
Ethan's lips curved slightly.
"It's accurate."
---
Luca leaned forward slightly, placing both hands on the desk.
"We go in blind, we risk exposure."
"We don't go in blind," Ethan replied calmly.
He tapped the file.
"We have entry points. Blind spots. Timings."
Luca's eyes moved back to the documents.
"…You've already planned it."
Ethan didn't respond.
Which was answer enough.
---
The discussion shifted quickly.
From general—
To precise.
Entry routes.
Exit routes.
Guard positions.
Timing.
Weapons.
Backup plans.
Everything laid out clearly.
No hesitation.
No wasted words.
---
"…We take him out here," Ethan said, pointing to a marked section on the map. "Away from the main area."
"And the guards?"
"Neutralize."
Luca's jaw tightened slightly.
"Quietly."
"Of course."
---
Another pause.
Then Luca spoke again.
"…We need confirmation."
Ethan looked at him.
"Of what?"
"That he deserves it."
Ethan's gaze hardened slightly.
"You read the file."
"I did," Luca said. "But I want proof we can use if things go wrong."
Ethan leaned forward slightly.
"You think they'll care about proof?"
"I think it's better to have it than not."
A brief silence.
Then—
Ethan nodded once.
"…Fine."
He opened another file.
Threw it across the desk.
"Evidence. Transactions. Witness statements."
Luca picked it up.
Read.
Carefully.
Then after a moment—
He nodded.
"…Alright."
---
The clock ticked louder now.
Time passing unnoticed.
The room growing heavier with each detail discussed.
---
"…We move tomorrow," Ethan said finally.
Luca looked up.
"…Tomorrow?"
"Yes."
"That's fast."
"That's necessary."
Luca held his gaze.
"…You're rushing."
Ethan didn't deny it.
"We don't delay orders."
A pause.
"…This is about your father," Luca said quietly.
Ethan's expression didn't change.
But the silence confirmed it.
---
Luca leaned back slightly.
"…Fine."
He exhaled.
"Then we prepare properly."
"We always do."
---
They went over it again.
Every detail.
Every possibility.
Every risk.
Nothing left uncertain.
---
By the time they finished—
The clock read 2:00 AM.
The house was completely silent.
Everyone asleep.
Except them.
---
Ethan stood up from his chair.
Walking toward the window.
Looking out into the dark.
"…Prepare everything," he said.
Luca stood as well.
"Weapons. Guards. Vehicles."
Ethan nodded.
"He's dangerous."
"I can see that."
A pause.
Then Ethan added—
"No mistakes."
Luca's expression turned serious.
"There won't be."
---
For a moment—
Neither of them spoke.
Just stood there.
In the quiet.
---
Then Luca turned slightly toward the door.
"I'll handle the arrangements."
Ethan didn't look back.
"Do it."
---
The door opened.
Then closed again.
Leaving Ethan alone.
---
He stood there.
Looking out at the darkness.
The reflection of the city lights faint in the distance.
---
And somewhere in the back of his mind—
A voice lingered.
Soft.
Unwanted.
"You talk about killing people like it's nothing."
---
His jaw tightened.
"…It is nothing," he said quietly.
But this time—
The words didn't feel as convincing as before.
---
Still—
It didn't change anything.
---
Tomorrow—
Someone would die.
And Ethan—
Would be the one to make sure of it.
Ethan didn't move from the window for a long time.
The city stretched out in front of him—silent, distant, almost unreal at this hour. Lights flickered from buildings far away, cars passing like slow-moving shadows on empty roads.
Everything looked calm.
Peaceful.
But he knew better.
Behind every quiet surface—
There was always something darker.
Something hidden.
Just like tonight.
---
His fingers rested lightly against the cold glass.
His reflection stared back at him.
Unchanged.
Controlled.
Unbothered.
At least—that's what it looked like.
---
But his mind wasn't still.
It moved between two things.
The mission.
And her.
---
"I don't want to feel like I'm just another one of them."
The words came back again.
Uninvited.
Unwanted.
Persistent.
His jaw tightened slightly.
"…You're not," he repeated under his breath.
But saying it again didn't make it clearer.
Didn't make it easier.
---
He pushed himself away from the window.
Walking back toward the desk.
The files still spread across it.
The target's face staring up at him.
Cold.
Replaceable.
Just another name.
Another job.
Another end.
---
Ethan picked up the file again.
His expression shifted instantly.
Focused.
Sharp.
Professional.
He flipped through the pages once more.
Checking details.
Reconfirming routes.
Timing.
Weapons.
Everything.
Perfect.
Everything had to be perfect.
Because this wasn't just any job.
It came from his father.
And failure—
Was not an option.
---
He closed the file slowly.
Set it down.
Then reached for his phone.
Typing a short message to Kai.
"Double the perimeter. No leaks. I want eyes everywhere."
Sent.
---
A quiet breath left him.
And just for a second—
His gaze drifted upward.
Toward the stairs.
Toward his room.
---
"…Stay out of this," he muttered.
Whether he meant her—
Or himself—
Even he didn't know.
---
Because tomorrow—
There would be no space for hesitation.
No space for questions.
No space for feelings.
Only one thing—
Execution.