Daniel Heinrich knew that he and Velika O'Sullivan eventually had to sit down and talk about their next move, but part of him was somehow afraid of facing the truth that nothing was over yet. Needless anyone to tell him, he could already sense the danger surrounded him, he knew perfectly how desperate the Leontes want to get rid of him. He had too many dark secrets in his heart, the secrets he used to think they could act as a shield to defend himself, now he realized he was nothing but a soldier, being manipulated by the one truly in control. Same as Velika O'Sullivan, they were people with deep thoughts and defined skills, but still, they were used as tools and got stuck in a war that barely had a way out.
He always wondered how Dean O'Sullivan got into the position, that Irish started from nothing, he was only a medicine student, barely have any experience with the cruel world. Suddenly, after not that many years, he became the man invest in the dark business once Daniel Heinrich was involved in, and now he was the ally of Astoria Leontes, under her large shield, he was safe from Romeo Leontes.
Daniel Heinrich was never the man who waited until the last minute to act, he was always well planned, balanced all the risks, and found the best way to work for him, especially when he came to his safety. He considered to contact his old partner so that he could have more information about Astoria Leontes, then he shook off the idea since Dean O'Sullivan was involved as well, no, whenever the Irish were involved, the woman was also part of it.
For the first time, Daniel Heinrich felt clueless, usually with his intel network, even not as large as Astoria Leontes', he could still find someone that could provide him some information, then he could follow the lead and figure everything out by himself, even the tiniest hint would do. However, at this moment, he felt he needed help, and he hated this feeling, it was like a twitch in the stomach.
So, when Velika O'Sullivan invited him to come over, he agreed with extreme concern in his beautiful eyes regardless she had a casual expression on her face.
Something was up in the air.
###
When Daniel Heinrich woke up in the morning next to Velika O'Sullivan, who was smoking with the window open. The early spring breeze sneaked in through the tiny gap and brought slightly chill to him. She hadn't been smoking for a while, not after he continuously bothered her about how smoking could lead to cancer, especially when he learned that she started smoking after Dean O'Sullivan left her, which was nearly seven years.
"Well? What made you pick up a cigarette?"
"Bryce visited me a few days ago." She said slowly, didn't look at him, her flat tone sounded like she was talking about today's weather.
"Bryce Sanchez?" Daniel Heinrich rose his voice a little, he never expected to hear this name from her, "I didn't know you are involved with him."
"I am," She had a scornful smile, she turned to him, he saw the dark circles under her eyes, "I'm quite involved with him, does this change your perspective about me?"
"It's not that much of a surprise," He shrugged, he tried to show that he didn't care much about her relationships with other men, but part of him feel irritated. There was no reason for him to be irritated, he had nothing to do with her except being her partner on the run. She had told him so many times that he should not get attached to her, it was more like a warning for no reason. He knew clearly that part of her loved him, more than just a friend, and so did he to her. They were similar people yet different, and all their differences would complement each other, he knew that they would be perfect together, and he believed that she knew this as well. Sometimes he wondered why she refused to get closer to him, it was not because of her marriage, he knew this for sure. Maybe he was irritated because it was Bryce Sanchez, who was neither his friend nor enemy but had a strong connection with him got in the picture, "And what did he tell you?"
The person Velika O'Sullivan would never imagine helping her out in a tough condition was Bryce Sanchez. She would rather believe Dean O'Sullivan decided to defend her one day than Bryce Sanchez came up to her and offered help. For her, Bryce Sanchez was like a shadow, appeared at the most unexpected moments, he was a man stayed in distance with everyone, even Astoria Leontes, his supposed to be the lover. He had a friendly face as his most valuable disguise and the way he talked trick people into trusting him. That American had his network, which kept him safe from all the threats. Velika O'Sullivan admired him, they had so much in common, that she could even imagine they can be married, yet, it was nothing but an illusion.
What she could never convince herself but turned out to be true was, Bryce Sanchez, admired her the same way as she admired him.
When Bryce Sanchez showed up at her door, she was nothing but speechless for seconds, and that felt like an eternity.
"Not going to greet your old friend, Velika?" He grinned, showing his neat, white teeth, instantly brought her back to the day when she first met him, it was just like yesterday.
"Oh, Bryce." She had a sorrow smile and hugged him, he gently patted her on the back, "it's been so long since I last met you, so long."
"Nowhere I am." A grin climbed on the corner of his lips, he loosened her, "Can I have a cup of coffee?"
"Absolutely." She smiled.
When he sat down slowly drinking his coffee, Velika O'Sullivan couldn't help staring at him, as he would vanish in the next second. There was part of her still couldn't believe that they met under nothing but a coincidence. Years ago, when they were in Egypt, she wished that they were just ordinary people, so she could get away this man whom she had so much in common.
"You don't know how much I wish you were just for a visit, not a business purpose." Velika O'Sullivan said half bitterly.
"Same." Bryce Sanchez laughed. "That day will come, eventually."
"So," She paused, and looked directly into his bright blue eyes, "What brought you here?"
"Frankly saying, you are very much aware that both you and Daniel Heinrich are being targeted," He said slowly, looked back directly into her eyes, "And you need a hint."
"Why are you helping me?" She frowned. Bryce Sanchez was the man who never willing to be involved too much with others, so he could play safe all the time, she knew they somehow had a special bond together, but still, she would never expect him to help her at this moment, when she was the primary target of his long-term partner, Astoria Leontes.
"Because you are special, Velika, you are special. You are blessed in the way that you don't know yet."
His words only made her more skeptical, he wasn't someone who usually said things like that, there must be circumstances led him to her even himself wasn't thrilled to meet her at the first place.
"Yes?" She tilted her head a little and tried to listen to every single word he said carefully.
"I have an old friend who admires you," Said him in a very low voice, "She contacted me saying that she would like to give you a hint. Remember Heinrich's old business before he joined you? There is someone in his network that could help you out."
"Heinrich knows someone who is also in this messed up game." She had a scornful smile on, "And you have an old friend who knows me, which made me feel like being watched in the dark. That's a lot of information from you, my dear."
"Certainly," He laughed, "Certainly."
The way how he said these words instantaneously brought her back to the day when they were about to separate, he didn't seem aged at all, like they just met not even a month ago. She had no idea how the years went by so fast. Perhaps when she was stuck in such a dangerous game, she could care less about how time disappears among the gaps of her fingers just like the soft sand on the beach.
When he was about to leave, she suddenly asked:
"If we were normal people..."
"Velika," He was half facing her, he had this kind of look on his elegant face that she could barely read, he interrupted her sentence, and said in a gentle but somehow harsh tone, "I think exactly how you think, but we are not normal people."
He paused for several seconds then left, leaving her sitting there with a sigh, wondering how her life would go. Never was predictable and never will be.
"So," She asked Daniel Heinrich, who was partially buried in his thoughts, "Do you have anyone in mind?"
Someone who was related to his old business, the darkest part of his memory since he joined this career, he started to search deeply in his mind, looking for names that would ring a bell to him. The person was involved in both what he did years before and currently recruited by Romeo Leontes must have some sort of talent that none of the others did, that was the only reason made Romeo Leontes willing to take the risk of being turned against. And this person must have a certain connection with Bryce Sanchez and made a person sly like the American decided to step out of his safety box.
He started to have someone in mind, but part of him couldn't believe that man had such power to manipulate those two men who were in this game for too long and would never risk out of their free will.
"From what you know," Daniel Heinrich said slowly with a frown, "Is there any person Sanchez and Leontes can make a connection to?"
"Yes," Velika O'Sullivan squinted her eyes, "The one and only, Miss Ade, you probably heard of her already."
"What's her full name?" His eyebrows almost twisted together, which made her suspicious.
"Adelaide Fox." She said in a questionable tone, "She left Natural a long time ago, rumor says that she found someone and got married."
"I think I know who Sanchez was referring to." Daniel Heinrich grinned, "My old friend, Kyle Henderson."
Daniel Heinrich got to know Kyle Henderson when they were once in business together, Kyle Henderson was a psychologist whose legal job was a university professor. Since he worked in a university, it was easy for him to access their orders. They were in a partnership for several years before Kyle Henderson decided to quit and move on to some other career that he never told Daniel Heinrich about. Now Daniel Heinrich wondered if he left to work for Romeo Leontes, just like what Dean O'Sullivan did. He did get to meet Kyle Henderson's wife once, the woman named Adelaide, he had such an impression on her not only because her not so common name, but also how she was different than any other woman he had ever met in his life. She took a step back from everything she was cold but made people want to approach her, Daniel Heinrich had wondered multiple times how Kyle Henderson met her, and what charm she found in that more than academic man.