Chapter 102: The Mysterious Figure

The dim light flickered above me as I stepped into the secluded bar. The air was thick with stale beer and cigarette smoke, a perfect setting for clandestine meetings where secrets went to die—or, more likely, explode. This was where I was supposed to meet him—the person with answers.

Oliver had tried to talk me out of coming alone, but I knew better. The fewer people involved, the safer we would be. Or at least that’s what I told myself. Deep down, I knew this wasn’t about safety. It was about control. And right now, control was slipping through my fingers like sand.

I glanced at my watch: 11:52 PM. Eight minutes to midnight. The figure—whoever they were—had asked to meet at midnight. I pulled my coat tighter around me, the unease settling in my bones despite the heat. Every instinct told me this meeting could go horribly wrong.

And yet, I was here. Because I needed answers.

The bartender gave me a wary look, but I waved him off. “I’m meeting someone,” I muttered, sliding into a c