Sandra walked along the quite corridors of the facility as she made her way towards the main reception.
she had told the guards to take Del away to the main prison, but didn't stay behind because she couldn't bear to look at him, and feared she might lash out like she did in the interrogation room.
"sigh".
she let out sigh as walked.
"what the hell I'm I even doing" she said to herself.
she had indeed come here to ask him some questions and be done with him, but she let her personal resentment take over her.
as she walked, she thought about the what had happened between them. she had met him three years ago. at that time, she was still a junior officer in a department that specialized in escort and guarding for national artifacts and treasure. The Rosetta Stone -- an ancient black basalt slab, inscribed with the same text in three different scripts(Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphics, and demotic) was to be exhibited in The Centre Pompidou, France. She had been one of the people selected for the mission, and was excited because it was her first major mission since joining. it was there she met him. she had arrived six months ahead of the exhibition for the mission, and was just laying low and doing some occasional check ins and patrols, one day, while she was exiting a cafe she accidently bumped into someone on her way out and spilled her coffee one him.
"Oh my!!!"
"I'm so sorry!!" She quickly apologized as she hurried to get up and offer him her assistance.
"Ahh, no it's ok, it's my fault for not looking where i was going" he said.
Then when she looked up to get a look at his face—
Badump!!!
her heart skipped multiple beats. he was one of the most handsome men she had met.
He had black hair like hers, and a well defined face. Looking at his body, she could tell he was physically fit and well toned. But thag wasn't what made him standout. No, It was crystal blue eyes--which was quite rare for people to have--that truly captivated her.
"Uhm... are you okay?" His voice snapped her out of her daze.
"Ehm...y...yes, I'm sorry, let me help you?" She stretched out her hand to help him up.
"No, it's fine really, it's just a simple mistake, it can happen to anyone" he said to herself, giving a charming smile that made her blush.
He was about to walk away, but she suddenly grabbed his hand stopping him in his tracks...
"Wait! You can't walk around like that, can you?" She said.
"I live close by. How about you come over, I should have a spare shirt you can use"
He was about to insist, but the look in her eyes gave no room chance for disagreement.
"I'll take you up on that offer." he replied.
They made their way over to her apartment and she brought a spare baggy shirt he could change into. Though it was big for her it was a perfect fit for him, highlighting his muscles, which made her stare at him longer than she should.
"Uhm, you are staring"
She quickly snapped out of her daze and regained her composure.
"Oh, I'm sorry" she apologized.
"No problem"
They stood in awkward silence for a minute or so before he spoke again.
"I should probably get going now. Thanks for having me over" he said as he turned towards the door.
"Uhm...can I get your number?!" she suddenly blurted out.
"Any problem?"
She quickly thought of an excuse before saying—
"I want to get your shirt cleaned, and would like to have a way to contact you when I do so" she said.
He remained silent for a moment then replied...
"Sure, I don't see anything wrong with that"
Then he brought out his phone and they exchanged contacts. Shortly after, he waved her goodbye and left.
She remained standing by the door, looking at her phone and the name displayed on it.
"So his name is Lloyd"
"Wtf is wrong with me? Why am I behaving like an idiot whi just mer their first love" she buried her head in her hand in shame
She wasn't really in love with him yet, but he made a deep impression her.
'There is also the fact that he is incredibly handsome' she thought to herself, but quickly dismissed the thought.
The next few weeks of her life drastically changed. She met up with him once again to give him his laundry. They decided to continue to meet up from time to time, and regularly met at the cafe they first met. He once asked what she did for a living and she told him that worked as an Editor for WeebNovel—one of the largest novel platforms in the world—she wasn't technically lying as what she said was true. Her actual job has huge time intervals between actual missions, and they are allowed to have normal lives. They are even allowed to have another job as cover so, she was actually an Editor. They ended up becoming friends, and as they spent more time together, their relationship gradually deepened and turned into something more intimate. He later confessed to her, which gladly accepted. She was really on cloud nine. Her job was going well, she had just gotten together with man she fell in love with, what more could she ask for. But as they say, all good thing must come to an end. And for Sandra, it was about to all collapse.
It happened a day before the exhibition. She had been more busy that ever for the past week because the exhibition had was close by. She had made plans with Lloyd the day before, but he said he couldn't make it because something came up. Though she was a little sad, she understood and planned to go home and rest.
Sandra decided to call it an early night.
The exhaustion from the past week weighed heavily on her body, and disappointment lingered in her chest. Lloyd cancelling their plans stung more than she cared to admit, but she brushed it off. The exhibition was tomorrow. She needed to be sharp.
She took a long shower, letting the warm water wash away the tension, then collapsed onto her bed. Sleep came quickly.
Or so she thought.
A sharp buzz from her secure comm unit jolted her awake.
Intrusion alert.
Artifact Wing B — Level Red.
Her blood ran cold.
Sandra was on her feet instantly, muscle memory kicking in as she pulled on her jacket and boots. Within minutes, she was racing through the corridors of the facility, alarms blaring softly—contained, controlled, but unmistakably real.
No. Not now. Not tonight.
She arrived at Artifact Wing B just as the blast doors slammed shut. Guards lay unconscious on the floor—not dead, but efficiently neutralized.
Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing.
Her hand tightened around her sidearm as she advanced cautiously. Then she saw it.
The Rosetta Stone's containment chamber stood open.
And standing in front of it—removing the final stabilizers with practiced ease—was Lloyd.
Time seemed to freeze.
"…Lloyd?" Her voice came out hoarse.
He stopped.
Slowly, he turned around.
The warmth she knew was gone. His crystal blue eyes were empty, stripped of the gentleness she once fell for.
"Sandra," he said calmly. "You shouldn't be here."
Her chest tightened. "What… what are you doing?"
He straightened, setting the final stabilizer aside with practiced ease.
"Completing an operation."
Her hand shook as she raised her weapon. "You lied to me."
"Yes."
The bluntness of his answer stole the air from her lungs.
"Was any of it real?" she asked, her voice barely holding together. "Everything we had—was it all just part of this?"
He didn't hesitate.
"No."
The word hit harder than a gunshot.
"You were a means to an end," he continued, his tone even. "Your clearance. Your trust. Your access."
Her vision blurred, but she refused to look away. "So every smile… every word…"
"Fabricated," he said. "Carefully."
Something inside her shattered.
"You used me," she whispered.
"I did," he replied. "And I would do it again."
Before she could react, smoke burst from the vents, flooding the chamber. Her lungs burned as she stumbled, trying to keep him in sight.
"Don't fight it," Lloyd said, already sealing the Rosetta Stone into its transport case. "It won't kill you."
Her knees buckled.
As darkness crept in, she saw him pause at the doorway—just once—before turning away.
There was no apology.
Then he was gone.
***
Sandra exhaled slowly, forcing the memories down.
'Enough'. She thought to herself.
The past was done. Whatever Lloyd had been to her no longer mattered. She straightened her posture, her expression hardening as she approached the exit of the facility.
Then—
WEEOO—WEEOO—WEEOO
The alarm bells screamed to life.
Red lights flooded the corridors.
Her heart dropped.
"What—?" She instinctively reached for her key card.
Nothing.
Her breath hitched as she patted her jacket, her pockets, her belt.
No. No, no, no.
Realization struck her like a punch to the gut.
She spun around and sprinted back down the corridor, boots pounding against the polished floor. Her mind raced, already knowing the answer before she reached the interrogation wing.
The door was ajar.
Inside, the guards lay sprawled across the room, unconscious. Not dead. Cleanly taken down.
Her jaw clenched.
Then she saw it.
Her key card lay neatly on the interrogation table.
Beside it—a small folded note.
With trembling fingers, she picked it up and unfolded it.
"Thanks for the help again, Sandra."
Her vision went red.
"LLOYD!!!"
Her scream tore through the room, raw with fury and humiliation. She slammed her fist against the table, sending the card skidding across the surface.
That bastard.
He had planned this. Every second. Every step. Even now, he was still using her.
She activated her comm unit instantly.
"All units, this is Sandra," she snapped, her voice sharp and lethal. "Facility breach confirmed. Suspect is Lloyd—repeat, Lloyd. Initiate full lockdown and search protocol immediately. Seal all exits. I want eyes on every corridor, every transport route, now."
Acknowledgements flooded her channel.
Sandra stood there for a moment longer, chest heaving, staring at the note crumpled in her fist.
"This time," she muttered coldly, "you won't get away."
***
While the facility descended into chaos, Lloyd was already gone.
The prison's lower levels connected to an underwater maintenance tunnel—an old, decommissioned route once used for waste expulsion and emergency evacuation drills. Few remembered it still existed. Fewer still knew it had been quietly repurposed.
Lloyd did.
The small submarine slipped from its hidden berth and vanished into the dark water beneath the facility, undetected amid the blaring alarms and frantic communications above.
Inside the cramped cockpit, Lloyd exhaled and leaned back.
"Too easy," he muttered.
The prison shrank behind him on the sonar display as he set the craft on autopilot. Another flawless escape. Another perfectly executed operation.
Yet, uninvited, an image surfaced in his mind.
Sandra's face.
The fury. The betrayal. The way her voice had cracked when she said his name.
A flicker of something unpleasant twisted in his chest.
Regret?
He scoffed and pushed the thought aside. Emotions were liabilities. He had survived this long because he never let them linger.
"Business," he said quietly. "Nothing more."
The submarine descended deeper, its hull creaking softly as pressure mounted.
Then—
CRACK.
The warning indicators flashed for half a second.
The hull folded inward like paper.
There was no time to scream.
No time to think.
No time to regret.
And just like that, the world's greatest thief died.