The city stretched before them, its lights flickering like embers in the night. Isabella and Alexander sat on the edge of an abandoned rooftop, the stolen motorcycle cooling beside them.
They had escaped for now.
Alexander let out a slow breath. "Langston will come back harder."
Isabella nodded, her fingers still gripping the flash drive tucked safely in her pocket. "He's not just going to chase us. He's going to destroy us."
Silence settled between them, the tension shifting something deeper, something neither of them wanted to name.
Alexander studied her. "You don't have to do this alone."
Isabella met his gaze, something unreadable in her expression. "I never asked you to come with me."
A smirk played at his lips. "You didn't have to."
She looked away, the city stretching endlessly before them. She had spent years fighting alone, building walls, protecting herself from anyone who might get too close.
But Alexander?
He wasn't leaving.
Claire's voice crackled through the earpiece. "Safe house is ready. Get back before Langston regroups."
Isabella sighed. "Back to work."
Alexander pushed himself up, offering her a hand. "For now."
She hesitated for a fraction of a second before taking it.
Because for the first time in a long time…
She wasn't fighting alone.