"I didn't expect to see you here," Liam said, his voice low as he walked beside Lena through the damp corridors of the underground circuit.
Lena glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "Didn't expect to find you down here either. Weren't you supposed to be Jack's star student?"
Liam smirked, though there was no humor in it. "That was a long time ago. Things change, Lena."
She stopped, turning to face him fully. "You abandoned him. You left without a word. And now you're skulking around here, pretending like it's all part of the plan?"
Liam's jaw tightened. "You don't know what happened."
"Then tell me," Lena shot back.
Liam hesitated, his eyes darkening. "Jack pushed me too hard. He wanted me to be the next him, but I wasn't ready. The pressure—it broke me, Lena. So I left before it could destroy me completely."
Lena crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. "And now you're here, what? Looking for redemption?"
