Stella woke up to warmth.
Not the gentle warmth of sunlight—but the intense heat of Ethan's body pressed against hers.
His hand was tangled in her hair, his breath warm against her neck. For a moment she stayed still, letting the sensation settle over her.
Then Ethan shifted slightly, his lips brushing the sensitive skin just below her ear.
Her breath caught instantly.
"You're awake," she whispered.
"I was never asleep."
His voice was rough, low… the kind of tone that made her pulse quicken.
Stella turned in his arms slowly until she was facing him. The dim morning light slipping through the curtains revealed his dark eyes already watching her.
"You've been staring at me?"
"Trying to decide something."
"That sounds dangerous."
His fingers traced slowly along her waist.
"Everything about you is dangerous."
Her eyebrow lifted.
"That's rich coming from you."
A faint smile touched his lips, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.
Stella noticed.
"You're thinking about something again."
"I told you," Ethan said quietly, "my past doesn't stay quiet for long."
Stella sat up slightly, pulling the sheet around herself.
"You said last night that I'm somehow connected to the solution."
Ethan leaned back against the headboard, studying her.
"Yes."
"You also said you don't know how."
"That part is true."
"Then start with what you do know."
For a moment he didn't answer.
The tension in the room slowly returned.
Finally he spoke.
"When I worked for them… there were different divisions."
"Them meaning the people behind the list?"
"Yes."
Stella folded her arms.
"And you were part of it."
"I was part of their intelligence network."
"Which sounds like a nice way of saying spy."
"That's essentially what it was."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"So you gathered secrets for people who decide who lives and who dies."
Ethan's expression hardened.
"I wasn't proud of it."
"But you did it."
"Yes."
Silence lingered for a few seconds.
Then Stella asked the question that had been sitting in the back of her mind since everything started.
"What exactly did that file say about me?"
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"Not much."
"Try again."
He sighed.
"It said you were connected to something called Helix."
"That name again."
"Yes."
"And you still don't know what it is?"
"Not exactly."
Stella frowned.
"You're the worst secret agent in history."
That actually made him laugh softly.
"Maybe that's why I'm not doing it anymore."
She leaned closer.
"But you must have seen something."
Ethan hesitated.
Then he said something that made Stella's stomach drop.
"There was a symbol."
"What kind of symbol?"
"A spiral."
Stella's breath stopped.
Slowly… instinctively… her hand moved to her collarbone.
Ethan noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
She pulled the sheet aside slightly.
On her skin, just below her collarbone, was a faint birthmark.
A small spiral.
Ethan froze.
"That symbol…" he said slowly.
"You've seen it before," Stella finished quietly.
"Yes."
The room went silent.
Her heart began pounding.
"You're telling me this whole time… the answer was literally on my body?"
"I didn't know about the birthmark."
"And now you do."
Ethan's expression had turned serious again.
"Stella… do you know anything about your family history?"
"No."
"Nothing?"
"I was adopted."
The words hung heavily between them.
Ethan's eyes widened slightly.
"You never mentioned that."
"It never mattered before."
"But it matters now."
Her chest tightened.
"You think my real family is connected to this Helix thing."
"I think it's possible."
Stella stood up from the bed, suddenly restless.
"So what does that make me?"
Ethan watched her carefully.
"I don't know yet."
"That's not reassuring."
"No," he admitted. "It's not."
She ran a hand through her hair.
"My whole life I thought I was just someone who liked adventure."
"And now?"
"Now I feel like someone dropped me in the middle of a war I don't understand."
Ethan stood too.
"You're not alone in it."
She looked at him.
"You keep saying that… but I still don't know who you really are."
His voice lowered.
"I'm someone trying to fix the worst mistake of my life."
"And I'm part of that fix."
"Yes."
Silence returned again.
Then Stella said quietly,
"Do you regret it?"
"Regret what?"
"Getting involved with me."
Ethan stepped closer.
"No."
The answer came without hesitation.
"Even if I'm the reason your enemies keep finding us?"
His hand gently touched her cheek.
"You're not the reason."
"Then what is?"
Ethan looked toward the window again.
"The list."
"And the fact that I stole it."
Stella blinked.
"You stole it?"
"Yes."
Her heart skipped.
"Ethan… that sounds like the kind of thing people get killed for."
"That's why they're hunting me."
A sudden loud crack echoed outside.
Both of them froze.
Then came the unmistakable sound of tires on gravel.
More than one vehicle.
Ethan's expression instantly turned cold and alert.
He grabbed his jacket and pulled a small gun from inside it.
Stella's eyes widened.
"You didn't tell me you had that."
"I was hoping I wouldn't need it."
The engines outside grew louder.
Closer.
"How many do you think?" she asked.
Ethan glanced through the window.
His jaw tightened.
"Too many."
Stella's pulse raced.
"So what's the plan?"
Ethan grabbed her hand.
"This safe house is burned."
"And the new plan?"
His eyes met hers.
"We find out why you're connected to Helix."
Another engine roared outside.
Ethan pulled her toward the back door.
"Because if we don't figure it out first…"
His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
"They will".