Irene’s grip on the glass tightened, her knuckles turning white. “He… he made me watch,” she whispered, her voice trembling with the weight of the memories. “He forced me to watch while they… while they did things to people. Horrible things.”
Hope’s heart ached for her, but she kept her expression calm, offering silent support as Irene continued.
“He wanted to break me,” Irene said, her voice filled with pain and anger. “He wanted to make me… like it. To make me a part of his world. But I refused. I shut down, tried to block it all out. But he… he had ways of making sure I couldn’t.”
Hope reached out, placing a comforting hand on Irene’s arm. “You’re strong, Irene. You survived. And you’re here now, with us. We can protect you.”
Irene looked up at her, her eyes filled with tears. “But how can you be a part of that world?” she asked, her voice filled with confusion and pain. “How can any woman… degrade herself like that?”
Hope took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. “Irene, what Valente did to you was not what our world is about. What he did was about control, about power. It was twisted and evil. But submission, when given freely, is not degradation. It’s a choice, a gift of trust and vulnerability. It’s about connection, about trust between two people.”
Irene listened; her expression conflicted. “But… how can you respond to that? How can you… enjoy it?”
Hope’s heart went out to her. “A positive sexual response is a physical reaction, Irene. It doesn’t mean you wanted what happened, or that you’re to blame. Your body reacted, but that doesn’t mean you liked it, or that it defines who you are.”
Irene nodded slowly, absorbing Hope’s words. “I just… I don’t know who I am anymore,” she admitted, her voice breaking.
Hope squeezed her arm gently. “You’re a survivor, Irene. And you’re more than what happened to you. We’re going to help you find your way back.”
Irene’s expression softened, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice filled with gratitude. “I… I want to help. I think I may have something that could be important.”
Hope’s heart skipped a beat. “What is it?”
Irene took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. “Before Valente captured me, I found something—documents, records—connecting the Citadel to the Obsidian Cartel. But there was more. I think I found a link to something bigger, something… catastrophic. I managed to hide some of the files before they took me. If we can get to them…”
Hope’s pulse quickened. This was it—the key they had been searching for. “Where are the files?”
“They’re hidden in a safe place,” Irene said. “I’ll take you there, but… I want to go back to London. I can’t stay here.”
Hope nodded, understanding Irene’s need to return to familiar ground. “We’ll get you back to London. But you’ll need to stay with us, at Cerberus. It’s the safest place for you right now.”
Irene hesitated, then nodded in agreement. “Okay. I’ve heard of Cerberus. I’ll go with you.”
Hope felt a surge of relief. They were one step closer to uncovering the cartel’s plans, one step closer to stopping whatever they had in store. But there was still so much at stake, and the clock was ticking.
Later that day, after arranging their transport, Hope, Nigel, and Irene boarded a plane bound for London. The flight was tense, each of them lost in their thoughts as they sped toward the heart of the storm. The weight of the op pressed heavily on Hope’s shoulders, but she refused to let it break her. They had a chance—a slim one, but a chance nonetheless—to stop the cartel before it was too late.
As the plane touched down in London and they made their way to Cerberus headquarters, Hope couldn’t shake the feeling that they were racing against time. There was little doubt if they failed to stop the terrorist attack, that hundreds of thousands would die. They would need to use every bit of strength and resolve they possessed to bring the Obsidian Cartel and the Cobra down.
But even as they prepared to dive into the heart of the operation, Hope’s thoughts remained with Seth. She had to believe he was out there, fighting his way back to her. They had come too far to lose each other now.
CHAPTER 19
SETH
Seth’s flight back to London had been uneventful, a strange contrast to the storm of thoughts raging in his mind. As the plane descended over the city, the familiar skyline came into view, shrouded in the gray light of dawn. London had always felt like a city on the edge, balancing between its rich history and the demands of a modern world. Today, it felt like a reflection of Seth's own state of mind—a mix of tension, purpose, and an underlying sense of foreboding.
He knew what awaited him at Baker Street. The mission had been a success in many ways, but his decision to pursue Valente alone would not sit well with Hope. She would be furious, and she had every right to be. Seth had gone rogue, acted on instinct, and now he had to face the consequences—not from Cerberus, but from the woman who meant more to him than anyone or anything else in the world.
As the car carried him through the waking city, Seth leaned back against the leather seat, closing his eyes for a moment. His mind replayed the events since he’d left Hope in the helicopter. She was going to be pissed. The adrenaline was still humming in his veins. He had accomplished what he set out to do—captured Valente, secured critical intel—but at what cost? Hope was safe, but the way he had left her with barely a word, gnawed at him. He could still see the look in her eyes, the fear, the anger. She had always been strong and resilient, but Seth knew that strength had its limits.
The car pulled up to 221-A Baker Street, and Seth stepped out, the chill of the early morning air hitting him like a slap. He paused for a moment, looking up at the building’s façade. It was deceptively quiet, but he knew the hive of activity that buzzed within its walls. He was certain Cerberus operatives were already at work, piecing together the information they had wrested from the cartel, and what had been learned from Valente as they strategized their next move.
Seth pushed through the doors into the building and made his way up to the offices of Cerberus on the top floor. As he entered the bullpen, the familiar hum of energy surrounded him, banishing the exhaustion and worry that had plagued him since he’d landed and infusing him with focus and energy. He nodded at a few passing operatives, but his focus was singular: he had to face Hope.
Every step toward the conference room where the others were being debriefed felt like a step closer to a confrontation he both dreaded and knew was inevitable. He had acted decisively, but he wasn’t blind to the fallout.
When he entered the room, his heart skipped a beat at the sight of Hope standing by the window. She was staring out at the city, her posture rigid, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. The tension in her shoulders was palpable, and Seth knew immediately that she was barely holding it together.
