The Date
The restaurant overlooked the harbor, where the city lights shimmered against the black water. Soft piano music drifted through the room as couples laughed over glasses of wine.
Captain James “Hawk” Wilson checked his watch.
7:58 PM.
Two minutes early.
Military habit.
He scanned every exit, every waiter, every reflection in the windows.
Victor won’t miss this.
Whether through hidden cameras…
Bodyguards…
Or Jane herself.
He expected to be watched.
What he didn’t expect…
…was to feel nervous.
At exactly eight o’clock, Jane walked in.
She wore a simple black dress, elegant without trying too hard. Her hair rested over one shoulder, and for a moment the restaurant seemed quieter.
Hawk stood.
“You look beautiful.”
Jane smiled politely.
“You practiced saying that.”
“I did.”
She laughed.
“No, you didn’t.”
A few kilometers away…
Inside a heavily guarded mansion…
Victor Vex watched the restaurant through several monitors.
Not hidden cameras.
His own men were already inside.
One posed as a bartender.
Another as a waiter.
One couple near the window wasn’t a couple at all.
Victor swirled a glass of whiskey.
“Interesting…”
His chief of security stood beside him.
“Should we eliminate the captain tonight?”
Victor didn’t answer immediately.
Instead…
He watched Hawk pull out Jane’s chair.
He watched the way Hawk constantly glanced toward exits.
The way he positioned himself where he could see the entrance.
Military instincts.
Victor smiled.
“No.”
The guard frowned.
“Sir?”
“If I kill him now…”
“…I’ll never know why he’s here.”
Back at the restaurant…
Jane noticed Hawk studying every reflection.
“You’re working.”
“I’m on a date.”
“You’re working.”
He smiled.
“I guess old habits die hard.”
Jane leaned back.
“So tell me, Captain.”
“What exactly were you hoping to find when you started following me?”
Silence.
Hawk didn’t react.
Instead…
He smiled.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Jane laughed softly.
“James…”
“You’ve been following me for three weeks.”
The smile disappeared.
“So you knew.”
“I knew on the second day.”
Hawk stared at her.
“Then why pretend not to notice?”
Jane looked toward the harbor.
“Because I wanted to know who was brave enough…”
“…or foolish enough…”
“…to follow Victor’s wife.”
For the first time…
Neither of them spoke.
Each realized the other had been playing a role.
Victor leaned closer to the monitor.
“There it is.”
His security chief looked confused.
“What?”
“The masks.”
“They’ve finally stopped pretending.”
Victor smiled wider.
“Now the real conversation begins.”
Jane looked back at Hawk.
“So…”
“Why me?”
Hawk hesitated.
He had rehearsed dozens of lies.
None of them felt convincing anymore.
Finally, he answered.
“I lost someone because of Victor.”
Jane’s expression changed almost imperceptibly.
Not surprise.
Recognition.
“I figured.”
“You don’t seem shocked.”
“I’m married to him.”
She lowered her voice.
“I know exactly how many lives he has destroyed.”
Hawk searched her eyes.
For the first time…
He saw something that hadn’t been there before.
Not fear.
Not guilt.
Regret.
Victor paused the video feed.
He stared at Jane’s face frozen on the screen.
His smile slowly faded.
“That’s not part of the act.”
The room fell silent.
For the first time that evening…
Victor wasn’t observing.
He was wondering.
Has Jane finally begun to betray me…
Or is she setting a trap for this man?
He couldn’t tell.
And Victor hated not knowing.