Once the doctors were done with Magano, the siblings went back inside and spent a little more time chatting with their mother. Eventually, they said their goodbyes and stepped out of the hospital.
As soon as they walked outside, Vicky noticed a man staring at her strangely.
He was well-built, his muscular frame obvious even through his joggers and long-sleeved shirt. The man stood just outside the hospital entrance with an earpiece in one ear and a bottle of water in his hand. To anyone else, he might have looked like someone catching his breath after a run.
But his eyes were locked on Vicky.
Something about it felt wrong.
Vicky had the unsettling feeling that he hadn't just finished jogging and randomly stopped at the hospital. Not after everything that had been happening lately. She had been followed before. Someone had tried to kill her.
And now she had Emily and Evan with her.
That thought alone was enough.
She quickly flagged down a cab and ushered Evan and Emily inside.
"Where are you going?" Evan asked, a hint of worry in his voice. He was still trying to process how he had been knocked out and woken up in bed last night after discussing Vicky with Tonia.
"I just remembered I need to refill my vitamins," Vicky said nervously. "Let me meet you at the eatery. Emily must be starving."
Evan studied her face suspiciously.
He knew that was a lie.
Vicky didn't even fully understand her own medical condition. Yet here she was, suddenly talking about vitamins she supposedly needed. If she actually went looking for them, his secret could easily unravel.
And he only had minutes to fix this.
Vicky paid the driver and stepped back as the cab pulled away. She stood there watching until the taxi disappeared down the road.
The moment it did, Evan quickly pulled out his phone and made a call.
"Hello, Evan. Is everything alright?" a male nurse answered. He was one of the nurses who had attended to Magano earlier.
Meanwhile, Vicky turned around.
Then she walked straight toward the mysterious man.
The man's smile widened when he realized she was approaching him.
Vicky slowed down, suddenly unsure. The way he was looking at her… it felt like he knew her.
Maybe she had misjudged the situation.
"Paige… I like the haircut," the man said, opening his arms as if expecting a hug.
Vicky stopped an inch away from him.
Confusion flooded her face.
"Wait… you don't remember me?" he asked, stepping closer.
He was tall, muscular, and sweaty from running under the harsh afternoon sun.
"Isn't this a bad time for a run?" Vicky asked calmly, her expression turning stoic. If he had been following her, she was ready to warn him to stop.
"Yeah, right?" the man chuckled. "This is my gym time. Eish… crazy shifts."
"Um… I'm sorry," Vicky said carefully. "For a second I thought you called me Paige."
"Yeah… you're Paige." He paused, suddenly uncertain. "Wait… you're not Paige?"
His confusion deepened.
"I'm Gabe. You don't remember me?"
Vicky simply shook her head.
"I'm sorry. I'm Victoria."
Gabe frowned.
"Yes, Paige. It's me, Gabe. And I know you said you were just pretending with me to investigate my dad—"
"Whoa. Stop right there, sir. What?" Vicky cut him off immediately.
This man was clearly mistaken—and he was about to reveal sensitive information about his family.
"Really?" Gabe said quietly, disappointment flickering across his face.
"I'm so sorr—"
Before she could finish, Gabe suddenly shoved his phone toward her.
"You don't remember this?"
His voice sounded hurt.
Vicky looked down at the screen.
Her eyes widened.
The photos showed her.
Her—with Gabe.
But her hair was long, which she doesn't remember having.
"I know you said you're a PI and a great actress," Gabe said bitterly, "but please don't hurt my feelings more by pretending you don't know me."
Then he turned and jogged away before she could respond.
Inside a black car parked nearby, a man wearing sunglasses had been watching the entire interaction.
He tapped the earpiece in his ear and spoke discreetly.
Xavier's hideout echoed with screams.
He moved through the room like a storm, torturing men left and right in a fit of rage.
It had been too long since he had last seen Blue last night. Their last encounter had ended badly—she had been furious with him.
And worse, he still knew nothing about her and his men were useless, all of them.
Every search for information led to the same useless conclusion.
She looked exactly like a spy who had supposedly died years ago.
That was it.
Xavier's white shirt was soaked in blood. His knuckles were raw and red after repeatedly punching a man who now lay unconscious on the floor.
"You're telling me Blue knows everything about the underworld… even about me," Xavier shouted at his men, "but no one knows anything about her?"
His paranoia was spiraling out of control.
Blue had promised she would kill him. But not before she had her fun.
And despite knowing how dangerous she was, part of him couldn't deny the strange pull he felt toward her. A dangerous woman.
"AGHHH!"
He roared and slammed his fist straight through the wall.
"Calm down, son."
Xavier recognized the voice immediately. He didn't even bother turning around.
What are you doing here?" he asked coldly as he walked over to a table and picked up a knife.
"Did you go to the mall yesterday?" Mr. Elder asked calmly, sitting down in a nearby chair.
"Yes," Xavier replied casually.
Then he plunged the knife straight into the chest of the unconscious man on the floor.
"Why? Were you afraid I'd run into Alex?"
Mr. Elder froze.
"You… know about Alexander?" he asked carefully.
Xavier chuckled darkly.
"Yes, Dad. I know about my billionaire twin and his perfect family."
He leaned back slightly.
"Funny, isn't it? I'm the billionaire of the underworld… and he's the billionaire of the top world."
He laughed bitterly.
"Anything else you'd like to hide from me?"
"Please… I beg you, don't—"
Mr. Elder's sentence was cut short when Xavier suddenly pulled out a gun and aimed itdirectly at him.
"I'm not going to kill you," Xavier said calmly.
"But stay away from me."
His eyes burned with anger.
"All my life I've been told not to get close to them. Not to step into the world. Not since I was a child."
He scoffed.
"But now that I've seen your little secret… I think I can make my own decisions."
He turned and walked out.
Behind him, Mr. Elder sat frozen in his chair, his heart pounding violently.
The drink in his hand suddenly tasted bitter. He threw it across the room.
Chaos erupted inside the AID headquarters.
Their weapons stash had been stolen.
Agents moved around the room anxiously, talking over one another and pacing in panic.
"We've been busy chasing the vigilante killer," Robert said angrily, "while someone breaks into our own stash."
Natasha crossed her arms, thinking.
"I've been going over it again and again. Only Paige could open the safe where the AID weapons were stored. And now that safe is gone too… what if—"
"Paige is dead," Simon snapped firmly, cutting her off.
The room fell silent.
"Everyone gather around," he ordered. "We have assignments."
The agents quickly moved closer.
Just then, a rookie agent hurried into the room.
"Boss, I found this in the cupboard in the basement."
He handed Simon a piece of paper. An address was typed on it.
Simon studied it briefly.
"Robert. Natasha. Gather our men and prepare backup."
He looked at the rest of the team.
"The rest of you—get your assignments from my secretary. Move."
Agents began dispersing quickly.
"Whoa… why the long faces? What did I miss?"
A voice suddenly came from the entrance.
Everyone turned toward the door.
Ruben stood there.
But as he looked around the tense room, his smile slowly disappeared.