He was sent to kill her.

*A name, a photo, and a warning.. she knows too much'. That’s all the note said when Lorenzo opened the envelope. A routine job for someone like him. Trained, cold, precise. No mistakes. She was just a criminology student who got curious about the wrong people.

But then he saw her.

He had tracked her down easily, her socials were too open. Bright smile, kind eyes, a quiet life. Nothing about her screamed “threat,” yet the higher-ups were nervous. She’d seen too much. So he messaged her, using a fake name. Charming. Casual. Friendly. She answered.

Text turned to conversation. Conversation turned into connection. She was clever, lighthearted, and innocent in a way that made his world feel even darker. He told himself it was part of the mission, keep her close, lower her guard.

Then she agreed to meet. A walk, she said. “I feel safe with you.” Safe. He almost laughed. The irony made his chest hurt.

It was dusk when they met in the park. The sky tinted with gold, birds quieting down for the night. She waved at him, the breeze catching strands of her hair. She looked... real. Not a target. Not a threat. Just a girl.

She smiled, and something in him cracked. Lorenzo stood still, staring at her longer than he should have. She tilted her head.

“You okay?”

He blinked, trying to find the part of him that still remembered why he was here. But all he saw was her.

He couldn’t do it. Not tonight. Maybe not ever.

And as they started walking side by side, something unspoken lingered between them, he was here for blood. But suddenly, all he wanted was time.