The hum of technology surrounded them in the cold, dimly lit room. It was a world of shadows, screens, and flashing data feeds—Ryan's fortress, where every move was calculated and every threat neutralized before it even had a chance to materialize. But amid all that, in a far corner of the room, laughter echoed—soft and playful, almost out of place in such a grim setting.
Helena had gravitated toward that sound more and more in the past few days, as the weight of Ryan's dark world pressed down on her. The danger, the secrets, the ruthless power—none of it sat well with her. But there was something, or rather someone, who made it bearable: Iris.
"I swear, you're going to get us both in trouble!" Helena laughed as she watched Iris spin around in her chair, her oversized hoodie bunching up at her waist as she twirled.
Iris grinned, wide and mischievous, her round glasses slightly askew on her face. "Me? Trouble? Never!" she said, stopping the spin abruptly and leaning forward over her tablet. Her fingers flew across the screen, pulling up a cascade of data that Helena couldn't even begin to comprehend. "But seriously, if you ever want to hack into a corporate bank account, I'm your girl."
Helena chuckled, shaking her head. She was still getting used to this world—Ryan's world. And Iris? She was an enigma. Bright, cheerful, and seemingly out of place, yet perfectly at home amidst the danger. Every interaction with Iris felt like a break from the constant tension that Helena had been living under since she and Sarah had reunited with Ryan.
It didn't make sense. How could someone so young, so playful, be so deeply embedded in this shadowy underworld?
"Helena?" Iris waved a hand in front of her face, snapping Helena back to the present. "You good?"
Helena blinked and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry. Just… thinking."
Iris raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her chair. "About?"
Helena hesitated, biting her lip before asking the question that had been nagging at her for days. "You're really good at all this," she gestured vaguely at the tablet and the endless stream of code and data. "But… how did you even get involved in something like this? You're, what, seventeen?"
Iris paused, the light in her eyes dimming for just a moment. The smile she had been wearing slipped, replaced by something far more guarded. "Seventeen, yeah," she said softly, her fingers tapping lightly against the edge of the tablet. "And it wasn't exactly my choice."
The room seemed to grow colder, the playful atmosphere vanishing as Iris' words lingered in the air. Helena leaned forward, concern etched on her face. "What do you mean?"
Iris let out a soft sigh, running a hand through her short, messy hair. "You ever hear of the Black Phoenix Syndicate?"
Helena's eyes widened slightly. Of course, she had heard of them. The Black Phoenix Syndicate was notorious—an underground empire that dealt in everything from high-level corporate espionage to assassinations. They were powerful, ruthless, and untouchable.
"That's who my family worked for," Iris continued, her voice quieter now, as if speaking too loudly would bring the past rushing back. "They weren't good people. But back then, I didn't know that. I was just a kid."
Helena's heart clenched as she watched Iris' expression darken. The bright, playful girl she had come to know seemed to disappear before her eyes, replaced by someone much older, someone who had seen far more than she should have.
"I thought I was helping," Iris said, her eyes fixed on the screen in front of her, though she wasn't really looking at it. "I thought I was just helping my parents with their work. I didn't know that what I was doing—hacking into systems, breaking firewalls—was part of something so… dangerous."
Helena leaned in closer, her voice soft. "What happened?"
Iris swallowed hard, her fingers curling tightly around the edges of the tablet. "They used me," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I was good at what I did—really good. And they used that. My parents… they let them."
A bitter smile crossed Iris' face, though there was no humor in it. "I thought I was doing something important. But when the syndicate got what they wanted, they didn't need my family anymore. And… they don't leave loose ends."
Helena's breath caught in her throat. "Iris…"
"They killed them," Iris whispered, her voice barely audible now. "My parents, everyone. And I was next."
The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of Iris' words pressing down on both of them. Helena sat frozen, unable to believe what she was hearing. Iris, the girl who had been so full of life and energy, had survived something unimaginable.
"How did you escape?" Helena asked, her voice shaking.
Iris finally looked up, meeting Helena's gaze with eyes that seemed far older than her seventeen years. "Ryan found me. Just before they did."
Helena's heart pounded in her chest. She couldn't imagine what Iris had gone through—losing her family, being hunted by one of the most dangerous syndicates in the world. And yet here she was, still smiling, still laughing, still fighting.
"I'm so sorry," Helena whispered, her voice filled with sympathy.
Iris shrugged, her smile returning, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "It is what it is. Ryan saved me, gave me a place here. And now… I help him."
Helena stared at Iris, her mind racing. She had known that Ryan's world was dangerous, that he had surrounded himself with people who had seen and done terrible things. But Iris? Iris was just a kid, caught up in something far beyond her control. And now, she was stuck in Ryan's world—just like the rest of them.
"You shouldn't have to live like this," Helena said softly, her voice filled with emotion. "You deserve more. You deserve to be free."
Iris glanced at her, her smile fading. "This is my life now, Helena. It's not about what I deserve. It's about survival."
Helena felt a surge of protectiveness for the girl sitting in front of her. She wanted to help, to pull Iris out of this dark world and give her a chance at something better. But she could see the resignation in Iris' eyes—the acceptance of her fate, the understanding that there was no way out.
"Maybe there's another way," Helena said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe you could leave. Start over."
Iris shook her head, her expression somber. "You don't just leave the syndicate. They're still out there, Helena. And they're still looking for me."
Helena's stomach twisted. She had thought that Ryan's protection was enough, that as long as Iris was under his watch, she would be safe. But now, she realized that the danger never truly went away. Iris was living on borrowed time, constantly looking over her shoulder, waiting for the day when the syndicate would find her.
"I can't leave," Iris said firmly, though there was a sadness in her voice. "Ryan's the only reason I'm still alive. Without him… I wouldn't stand a chance."
Helena's mind spun, torn between wanting to believe that Ryan could protect Iris forever and the growing realization that this life wasn't what Iris deserved. She was a kid, after all. She should be going to school, making friends, living a normal life. Not hiding from killers in an underground compound.
But Ryan had saved her. He had given her a place when no one else could.
"Do you ever wish things were different?" Helena asked softly, her voice barely audible.
Iris looked down at her hands, her expression unreadable. "Sometimes," she admitted. "But wishing doesn't change anything. This is my life now. And I have to live with it."
Helena's heart ached for Iris, but she didn't know what to say. She wanted to promise Iris that things could be different, that there was a way out of this dark world. But deep down, she wasn't sure if that was true.
The Conflict in Helena's Heart
That night, as Helena lay awake in her bed, her mind replayed everything Iris had told her. The playful girl she had bonded with was hiding a deep, painful past—one filled with betrayal, loss, and survival. And now, Iris was trapped in a world of shadows, a world that offered her no way out.
Helena couldn't stop thinking about it. About the life Iris could have had. About the future she deserved. But what could she do? Ryan had saved Iris, but had he given her a choice? Was Iris living the life she wanted, or was she just surviving in a world that had already taken everything from her?
The more Helena thought about it, the more uneasy she became. She trusted Ryan—he was her brother, and she knew he had always protected her and Sarah. But seeing Iris now, seeing the toll this life had taken on someone so young, made Helena question whether Ryan's protection was enough.
Was this really the life Iris wanted? Or was she just too scared to hope for something more?
As Helena stared up at the ceiling, the conflict in her heart grew. She wanted to help Iris, to give her a chance at the freedom she deserved. But how could she go against Ryan? How could she question the man who had saved them all?
Helena didn't have the answers. But she knew one thing for certain—she couldn't ignore what Iris had told her. And she couldn't stand by and watch as Iris lived in fear for the rest of her life.