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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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrz79jfg3Hc
She kept looking over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the darkness behind her — as if something, or someone, was following her.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMhu0toSZr
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. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqsiaw31cX
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. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3s2ykWorm
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89lEa3nOjl
Suddenly, headlights cut through the darkness like knives — a car was approaching.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbPVUqz49SD
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Jov08eBD0
Everything that could save her.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYtxkaUHDf6
Everything that could prove she wasn’t guilty.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylJ1vQv9ZZ
Everything they would kill to hide.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7s9DQTeHqr
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:27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKTAMmBVv1
“Run! Save yourself! Go, now!”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgLpbB7lBL
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. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡimiaRMnJKq
“Better to face the night than the people hunting me,” 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbH4HSPuXVt
she thought, wrapping her arms around herself for warmth. She would find a place to hide.... Somewhere no one would look.....27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFEPlsNS0Pq
Somewhere she could breathe… at least for a little while.
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..........................................
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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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7tVc9Q74Up
He didn’t turn. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyGDGLWzk3
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. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzj6wF2wuQs
His other hand rested on the armrest, fingers tapping slowly — rhythmically, like a man lost in deep calculation.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw8UVm5Pa0L
His face remained hidden in shadow, but his silence spoke volumes. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuNyfalzOZ
Not a flinch. Not a word.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUaK9Q9lLO
As if the chaos on screen… had nothing to do with him.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWldxQSRyb5
Suddenly, the phone on the sleek glass coffee table beside him began to ring.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49bmX3GaZW
He didn’t glance at the screen. With practiced ease, he tapped to answer and switched on the speaker.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLTzwgvjG1
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamveA5rGCx
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwbP7B34q9
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCG215uLL5F
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVqdsONVCCm
He was tall — towering at 6’3" — with a naturally powerful build that hinted at both strength and discipline.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJsIE2KJUS
A man of beauty… and danger. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjCkCB6a3O
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2Rde78udp
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 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnD3lGcP50
Suddenly, a groggy, annoyed voice came through the phone, thick with sleep and irritation. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3Tj4NInT1
"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." 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpQS0eyHJ8
The voice on the other end sounded like someone who had just been pulled from a deep sleep — disoriented, yet unmistakably familiar.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡemhzlJ19h0
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXHsfpYa2R
"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.”27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEG7srxuvD5
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXQ1mzGLGg
Max let out a dramatic sigh and replied, 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwWqtPBSbD
"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!"27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMEEcv6gio
His voice was teasing, full of mock misery — but it was clear he was used to this. Grayson calling at odd hours? Typical. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDkYvAECYa
"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?"27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLjiwJ3sWt
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXiXQNoHs5z
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,27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEannjvw307
"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.?"27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrqzd0KbKqK
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. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahzmmTVBrR
Max let out a sleepy grunt in response… and then fell silent.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyzFOjAmOc
Grayson didn’t wait for more. He ended the call without another word, slid the phone into his pocket, and stood up.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGVeJooxH0
With calm, measured steps, he walked out of the TV lounge and towards the staircase leading upward. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuPhLmZK8E
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMa4Gmd3x1w
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdlIPMCS0B
But it didn’t take a trained eye to know — these weren’t just for show.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkh0U98nLXg
There were subtle signs: worn grips, faint scratches, a few cases left slightly ajar. These guns had history. They had been used.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJs5tf3OfyS
And the man standing in the middle of it all?27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34uVeY0B0X
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNM8XxvAXWy
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzzFPw0bfAi
This was his weapon of choice for tomorrow's hunt. The perfect balance of power, precision, and reliability.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsmAteqj2FF
"Tomorrow," he muttered to himself, running a finger along the barrel, "it’ll be this one."27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewbOPik4Sy
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbHyY6BBYny
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6Fut3eOOE
They had been best friends since childhood, and everyone in the agency knew it well. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OBebKtk2T
Their bond wasn’t just strong — it was legendary.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbBnFTU62d
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuTfxYtiNC
He walked into his bedroom — a space that reflected both discipline and comfort.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJSvBT2eD6y
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjs1pClHeu
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACRKb2MPPS
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdRnnleA5ab
On the bedside table to his left sat a framed photo of him and Max — a frozen memory of laughter and brotherhood.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwg6cRgH1EA
On the other side, another frame stood silently: a picture of his parents...........That was it.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7XvjZ8j9ZP
His people. His home. His heart. 27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnw6faqwSq
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNV8vU6BuK9
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.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRGUmSBbHIz
And soon...27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDR6RCaipm
Grayson was fast asleep.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHHHIzus05
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