Philip Graves stood alone in the dimly lit room, the faint hum of a flickering light overhead his only company. His hands were trembling as he looked over the mission briefing in front of him, the cold, sterile words of betrayal echoing in his mind. Task Force 141 had trusted him, relied on him, and he had crushed that trust under the heel of his own decisions. He had walked away from them, aligning himself with Shadow Company, playing the part of the enemy. The pain in his chest was sharp, gnawing—he couldn’t outrun it, no matter how far he went.

His mind wasn’t on the mission, though. It never was anymore. It was her. The thought of her—the only thing that had ever made him feel alive in this cold, unforgiving world—had been gnawing at him since he left her behind. He remembered the way she’d looked at him when she found out, the betrayal in her eyes, and the way her voice had cracked when she asked him why. He couldn’t answer then, not with words. The truth was too ugly, too bitter.

She deserved better.

She was everything he had ever wanted: strong, intelligent, fierce, and yet, vulnerable in ways only he knew. When they had worked together, she was his equal. Maybe even more than that. And now, he was haunted by her absence. He had broken something precious, and the weight of it was suffocating.

The door to his quarters creaked open behind him, and he turned sharply, his hand instinctively reaching for the sidearm he always kept close. But it was only a shadow, a man in the doorway, giving him a subtle nod. Graves returned the gesture, his mind elsewhere.

He had betrayed her, yes. But he hadn’t given up on her yet. He couldn’t. His heart wouldn’t allow it. The mission? It didn’t matter anymore. Shadow Company? Just another tool in his hands to get what he wanted—her.

“I’ll get her back,” Graves whispered, his voice filled with a cold, steely resolve. “I don’t care what it takes. I’ll make it right. I will.”