She signed the contract.
And just like that, she was no longer an outsider. Melody Quinn was in my world now whether she could survive it was a different question.
I watched her through the security feed from my office, eyes fixed on her posture, her reactions, the way she clutched the file with Lucien's face on it.
She didn't flinch. Good.
Nico was testing her already. That was the plan. We don't ease anyone in here, especially not someone with a vendetta stitched into their bones. She wasn't weak but desperation could cloud judgment faster than fear.
And fear was a useful tool. Until it became a weakness.
"She's sharper than she looks," Nico's voice crackled over the private comm. "Didn't ask dumb questions. Didn't freeze."
"Keep her on her toes," I replied, tapping the screen. "She's either going to become useful or a target."
A pause. "You still think she's tied to Lucien?"
I didn't answer. I didn't have to. Lucien's involvement in her parents' death wasn't coincidence. The man doesn't make mistakes. If he showed up at the university masked and reckless it meant two things: he wanted to be seen, and he wanted to send a message.
To her. Or to me.
I leaned back in my chair, letting the silence settle. My office was high above the city, but nothing about it felt peaceful. The skyline meant nothing when war was brewing underground.
Lucien had been off-grid for years. After the betrayal, the executions, and his sudden disappearance, I assumed he was dead. Apparently, he had other plans.
And now, his past and mine were colliding right in the shape of a girl with quiet fury in her eyes.
Melody.
I'd seen killers, spies, and informants come and go. But she was different. There was fire beneath her grief. A hunger that wouldn't be tamed. She didn't just want survival. She wanted justice. Or revenge. In this world, those two things blurred together quickly.
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.
"Come in."
The receptionist stepped in. "There's movement on the tracker."
She handed me a tablet. I swiped through.
Lucien's signal. A ghost ping barely traceable. But there it was, hovering just outside of Hall road. Disguised, but not hidden well enough.
I studied the signal for a moment, then looked up.
"Don't tell Melody."
The woman blinked. "Sir?"
"Not yet. She needs to learn patience. If we give her too much, she'll chase ghosts. Let her earn her truth."
And when she does… she'll realize Lucien is only the beginning.
I closed the tablet, my fingers tapping slowly on the wood of my desk.
The game had begun.
And Melody Quinn? She just walked onto the board.