Kyles's P.O.V.
Xyrus let out a harsh, disbelieving breath and shook his head. He walked over to the leather couch, dropping himself onto the cushions with a heavy sigh. He rubbed his temples, looking even more confused than when he had first barged into my office.
"Why would you apologize? That's not you," Xyrus said, looking up at me with an expression of pure bafflement.
"Since when does Kyles Morris care about apologizing to a target? You've never broken your own parameters like this before. A full, unrestricted two-week stay for an ordinary coder who doesn't even know if you're just a bystander or a CEO? It's completely out of character for you."
"A human being like me also knew apologizing to someone is a simple courtesy," I replied smoothly, my voice calm as I kept my gaze locked on his exasperated face.
Xyrus blinked, his jaw slackening slightly as he stared at me in disbelief. A bitter, amused grin slowly formed on his lips.
"You don't even apologize to your own best friend for making me do such dangerous jobs."
I shook my head lightly, the corners of my mouth twitching upward in a faint, rare gesture of dark humor.
"Why should I apologize to you?" I said flatly.
"You're still keep doing it after all."
Xyrus threw his hands up in mock defeat, letting out a sharp chuckle that echoed against the soundproof walls. He leaned back against the couch cushions, realizing that trying to crack my emotional defense was entirely pointless.
I turned around completely to face my desk, my silhouette dark against the brilliant morning sun behind me as I looked down at the mahogany wood. My fingers traced the edge of the smooth timber right near my keyboard.
"I am checking the surveillance logs myself from now on," I stated flatly, shifting the conversation back to hard logistics.
"I want full access to the 22nd Street transit line cameras on Monday morning. I need to know the exact moment she arrives at the terminal."
"Already handled," Xyrus sighed, smoothing down the front of his utility jacket as he stood back up from the couch.
"The network protocols are routed directly to your personal terminal. If she steps foot within fifty meters of that shuttle gate, you'll get a direct ping on your screen."
He walked toward the heavy mahogany door, his boots clicking quietly against the polished concrete. He paused right before reaching for the handle, glancing back over his shoulder at my solitary figure.
"Just remember one thing, Kyles," Xyrus added with a small, knowing smirk.
"If she actually boards that shuttle on Monday, she's going to find out who owns the island eventually. You won't be able to keep your identity a secret from her forever."
"I am not hiding from anyone," I simply responded to him, my voice flat as I lifted my hand and gave a small wave to shove him away.
Xyrus chucked quietly at the dismissive gesture, but he didn't press the matter any further. He pulled the heavy mahogany door open and stepped out into the bright, silent corridor of the museum's private wing, letting the wood click shut behind him with a solid, final snap.
Pollen's P.O.V.
I am done packing my things, and now I am doing the laundry and cleaning my house before going to Starry Nightsky Island. I am nervous and excited at the same time. This is the first time for me to go to a place like that.
Downstairs, the faint, comforting sizzle of a hot pan echoed through the floorboards. Zachary is cooking downstairs; he is making sure I am eating right. Leo is at the café doing some inventory, Zachary said to me earlier, which explained why his silver sedan wasn't parked out front today.
I wasn't going to invite Zachy over to help me today, but he insisted on helping me do the house chores and pack my things. He is not just a best friend but a big brother.
I left my bedroom and headed downstairs, walking into the warm, savory aroma filling the lower floor. I walked over to the kitchen counter to wipe it down, listening to his heavy footsteps move across the tiles as he carried a plate over to the small dining table.
"Pol! Stop scrubbing that counter and get over here while it's hot," Zachy called out, his voice lifting over the sound of the running washing machine.
"You need to finish this meal before you even think about starting another load of laundry."
I smiled faintly, wiping my hands on a kitchen towel as I walked over to join him. He had prepared a massive portion of grilled chicken and seasoned rice.
"Zachy, you made way too much food," I murmured, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
"I'm only going away for two weeks, not an entire year."
"Doctor Valerie's prescription explicitly stated you need proper nutrition to help rebuild your baseline defense levels," Zachy countered smoothly, sitting down across from me and handing me a fork.
He looked completely at ease in his casual t-shirt, the heavy, suffocating anxiety from yesterday completely gone from his eyes.
"So, you are going to finish every single bite. Consider it part of your mandatory therapy."
"Okay, okay, I'm eating," I laughed softly, taking a small bite.
It tasted incredible, reminding me just how long it had been since I had a proper home-cooked meal that didn't come out of a convenience store wrapper.
"Did Leo finish sorting out the premium coffee shipment at the café?"
"Yeah, he should be done by late afternoon," Zachy replied, idly tracing a pattern on the wood grain of the table.
"He wanted to come over and help too, but I told him I had the house chores completely under control. Besides, someone needs to actually run the business while I'm playing housemaid for my little sister."
"I really appreciate you guys," I said quietly, looking down at my plate as a sudden, anxious flutter brushed against my ribs.
"I'm still a little scared, Zachy. What if the island doesn't work? What if my head just keeps getting heavier?"
Zachy reached across the small table, his large hand gently tapping the top of mine with a reassuring, grounding pressure.
"It's going to work, Pol," he said, his voice dropping into a steady, absolute certainty.
"You have the temporary transit pills from the clinic to help you get there safely, and you have an entire empty resort waiting for you. Just focus on looking at the stars and catching your breath. Leo and I will be picking you up on your last day on the island."
"Okay," I said calmly, then continued eating.
He smiled at me.
This time, I looked up above his head, and his thought bubble appeared in a soft, bright blue: 'Leo will be here soon. I gotta save some food for him.'
Zachy stood up from the table and immediately started to prepare a separate container of food for Leo, humming quietly under his breath.
I was consciously trying to avoid looking at his thought bubble because I didn't want to read his mind, but this time, I couldn't help it. He seemed genuinely excited. Especially when it comes to Leo, Zachy's protective wall completely melted away, replacing his usual stress with a quiet, happy eagerness. Knowing Leo was his boyfriend made my heart swell.
I lowered my eyes back to my plate, feeling a gentle warmth in my chest as I watched Zachy fuss over saving the perfect portions for the person he loved.
Xyrus's P.O.V.
I got inside my car, not starting the engine. I leaned my head back against the headrest, staring out through the windshield at the clean, quiet facade of the museum's parking structure.
"Is he seriously apologizing?" I muttered out loud, the steering wheel cold under my palms.
I started talking to myself, tapping my fingers rhythmically against the leather steering wheel. I genuinely couldn't figure out why Kyles had gotten such a soft heart lately.
"Pollen Anderson is pretty, but I can't say if she's a trustworthy person yet," I whispered, my analytical brain automatically turning her name back into an active profile folder. To me, a target was a target until every single background check was completely clean.
Kyles was gambling his entire administrative control on pure instinct.
I reached into my pocket, my fingers brushing against my smartphone terminal. A heavy, conflicted thought weighed on my chest, making me hesitate as I stared at the ignition button
'Should I tell him about Dahlia Rinston?'
"I should tell him," I said quietly to the empty car.
"But not now. I need more evidence if Zendrick is the one controlling Pollen to get to us."
If I mentioned that name to Kyles right now, he might get even more anxious and get mad at me. We didn't have solid proof yet, only a thread of suspicion.
Kyles already suspects that the two-year incident—the traumatic assassination attempt that changed everything—was orchestrated because of his number one rival, Zendrick.
Zendrick hates Kyles because Kyles achieves far more than him, and the man is completely two-faced, hiding his malice behind a pristine corporate smile. Zendrick should stop himself from letting his inferiority complex drive him to these lengths.
"Zendrick, I'll kill you if you don't behave yourself," I said with a strong, low tone of voice, my grip tightening hard against the steering wheel.
I shook my head, clearing my mind of the corporate web for now, and finally started the engine. I shifted the car into gear and started driving out of the parking structure, leaving the quiet gallery behind me.