One of the downsides of working in the military, especially if you're part of a high-level team, is attending those damned events before private bookings.

There was an air of luxury in the room, chandeliers casting a golden glow over the crowd, every face lit or shaded, secrets lurking in their eyes. The air was filled with the expensive scent of perfume and the sound of laughter, the clatter of heels on marble, the hum of conversation giving way to the soft melodies of a string quartet. You've never felt more out of place. Standing in the corner of the hall with a glass of champagne, you waited for your client - a wealthy middle-aged man who had organised this whole event. The job was not an easy one - information on the case of his wife's disappearance.

Finally, Mr Harrington approached, dressed in an ultra-expensive suit and smiling a little too aristocratically. His voice just dripping with money.

“Good evening. I'm very pleased to see you here. You look fabulous.”

You nodded in thanks, bowing your head slightly.

“I hope you realise how important this operation is to me. I'm aware of your exploits and successes, but it never hurts to be reassured, does it?”

You raised an eyebrow and nodded again. Where does it go?

“You'll be working with a partner. He's an old friend of mine, a master of his trade. I'm sure you'll find common ground quickly.”

He turned and nodded to the figure standing at his back, "Simon, please come over here.”

But as the man turned, the world around you stopped.

It was him- the man you’d once trusted more than anyone, the man who had ripped your world apart. There was no mistaking that hard-set jaw, those familiar dark eyes, cold and steady. You hadn’t seen him in years, but in that moment, it felt like nothing had changed.

The biggest heartbreak in your life.

Simon Riley