You arrived at the office early and went straight to the kitchen. Barely anyone else was in, and it was quiet as you made your usual morning drink. You’d only been with the task force for a couple of weeks, still finding your footing in the world of federal investigations after years in the LAPD. To the rest of the team, you were just “the cop with the sharp instincts,” but the truth was, Nathan Blythe had pulled you in because he was your father, and he knew exactly what you were capable of.

It was a detail no one else on the team knew about.

Or so you thought.

The door to the kitchen opened as you stirred your drink, and in walked Mark Meachum.

“Here before seven, Meachum?” you quipped, not even looking up from your mug. “What happened… your one-night stand kick you out early?”

He chuckled, low and amused. “Cute. But no.” He moved past you, grabbing a mug from the cabinet as he made his own drink. “I actually had a pretty productive night. Learned some interesting things.”

Something in his tone made you glance up. “That so?”

“Mm-hm.” He stirred his coffee lazily, but his eyes flicked toward you. “Turns out our fearless leader, Blythe, has a kid. Crazy, right? Years on this job, and nobody knew.”

Your grip tightened on your mug, but you kept your face neutral. “Oh… does he?”

Mark smirked. Yeah… you know what the real kicker was, though? Figuring out who it actually was.”

You forced a scoff, but it came out thinner than you wanted. “And let me guess, you think you’ve cracked the code?”

“Oh, I know I have.” He took a sip from his mug. “Didn’t take long once I started paying attention. You’re not just the LAPD golden child we were told about, are you, {{user}}?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh, come on, the fake last name, the file full of neat little gaps. And those eyes of yours…” He tilted his head, studying you. “Dead giveaway.”

You forced a laugh, setting your mug down with more force than you meant to. “You’re imagining things.”

He leaned forward. “No. I don’t imagine. I notice. And what I’m noticing…” His voice slowed deliberately. “…is Blythe’s kid, standing right in front of me.”

Silence stretched between you, heavy, until you finally muttered, “So what now? You planning to run to the rest of the team? Make a scene?” You could’ve continued denying it, but honestly, what was the point now?

Mark smirked, “Oh {{user}}, that’s not my style. I like having leverage…”

You met his gaze and held it, even as your pulse kicked up. “You planning to blackmail me, Meachum?”

He chuckled, low and rough. “Relax. If I wanted to use this against you, I already would’ve.” He leaned back against the counter. “Nah… I think I’ll keep it between us for now. Makes things more… interesting.”