"That was close," Matthew said as the three of them jumped inside the elevator.


    "Consider ourselves lucky," Adrian muttered with a frown on his face.


    The familiar hum of the elevator was the only sound filling the air as ire, Adrian, and Matthew rode in silence, each of them still processing the events that had unfolded. The weight of Eligos''s relentless pursuit hung over them like a storm cloud, but for now, they were safe at least, for the moment.


    As the elevator doors slid open, ire stepped out first, the familiar glow of Cryptonic''s sleek, high-tech interior offering a small semnce offort. The walls, lined with screens and sophisticated security systems, stood as a silent witness to the chaos they had just escaped. ire took a deep breath, inhaling the cool, conditioned air, trying to settle her racing thoughts.


    Adrian walked behind her, his gaze never leaving her back, and Matthew followed closely, looking tense, alert.


    ire led them down the narrow hallway to her office, the one ce in the world she could retreat to when everything felt like it was spiraling out of control. She didn''t bother with pleasantries, immediately walking to the desk and sitting down in the sleek chair, dropping her bag onto the surface. She ran a hand through her hair and let out a frustrated sigh.


    "Alright, now we can breathe for a minute," Matthew said, taking a seat across from her. now that we''re out of immediate danger, I need to know-what did Eligos want from you? We didn''t get a chance to talk about it before everything went to hell."


    ire nced at Adrian, who nodded in silent encouragement. She turned her attention back to Matthew, her brows knitting together. "He''s looking for someone. A guy named An."


    Matthew''s expression shifted almost imperceptibly, his lips pressing into a thin line and his eyes narrowing slightly. ire caught it immediately.


    "You know something," she said, her tone sharp.


    Matthew hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. I do."


    ire straightened, ignoring the dull ache in her arm. "Matthew, did Eligose after you and then


    kidnapped you just to ask you a question about An too?"


    Matthew nodded looking down feeling guilty. "Yeah, apparently. Sorry for not telling you,"


    Adrian frowned as he cut their conversation. "Why did you both end up being kidnapped? I think you guys should hire a bodyguard or something. It''s getting more concerning."


    "Trust me, bodyguards, no use," Matthew replied as he patted Adrian back.


    ire crossed her arms, ring at him. "I don''t get why you kept hiding things from me but fine. So, who is An? His name sounded familiar, but I couldn''t put a finger on it. And why is Eligos so interested in him?"


    For a moment, Matthew didn''t respond, his gaze distant as if he were sifting through memories. "You don''t remember him, do you?"


    ire frowned, the name nagging at the edges of her mind. It felt familiar, but she couldn''t ce it. "I''ve been through a lot, Matthew. Just tell me who he is."


    Matthew''s voice softened. "An''s the guy you asked me to look into a few months ago. You were curious about his background-his family, his history. But when I tried to dig, I hit a wall. No records, no trace. It was like he didn''t exist."


    ire''s eyes widened as the memory surfaced. "I remember now. An... he was connected to the ident. The car ident three years ago."


    Adrian''s voice broke in, his tone cautious yet probing. "The ident that involved you?"


    ire nodded, her expression somber. "Yes. The one that killed my parents and left me with three years of my life missing from my memory. An was there that night-or at least, I think he was. I didn''t have solid proof, but my instincts told me he was involved. That''s why I asked Matthew to investigate."


    Matthew leaned back in his chair, his face grim. "And I couldn''t find a shred of information on him, which only made it more suspicious. No one vanishes like that unless they have something to hide."


    Adrian''s protective instincts kicked in. "And now Eligos is hunting him? Why? What does An have to do with any of this?"


    "That''s the million-dor question," Matthew said grimly.


    ire stood and began pacing the room, her arms crossed tightly against her chest. "Eligos has been orchestrating chaos for months-the threats, the sabotage, the attempts to kidnap me-and now he''s after An. There''s no way this is a coincidence."


    Adrian''s brow furrowed. "Maybe An knows something about the ident. Something Eligos doesn''t wanting to light.''


    "Or," Matthew interjected, "he''s working with Eligos."


    ire shook her head firmly. "No. If


    An were working with Eligos, he wouldn''t be a target. Eligos doesn''t waste time chasing people who are already under his control. This is about leverage or information "Matthew shook his head and heaved a sigh. "I wish it was that easy but apparently the guy is dead. So, we have no lead."


    The room fell silent, the weight of Matthew''s words settling over them like a lead nket. Adrian''s voice was in disbelief as if he didn''t believe what he just heard. "Dead? How?"


    "He died six monthster after the ident involving ire and her parents. And An dies due to natural causes. Heart failure." Matthew raised his brows as he looked into Adrian''s eyes. "Do you think that makes sense?"


    Adrian frowned, his protective instincts kicking into overdrive. "If An''s dead, and Eligos is still looking for him, then there''s more to this story. He''s not after An himself-he''s after whatever An left behind." ire nodded, her mind racing. "It could be documents, evidence, something that ties Eligos to something that is much bigger."


    "Exactly," Matthew said. "There is a higher chance of that happening."


    Matthew nodded in agreement. "That''s the most likely exnation. But finding whatever An left behind won''t be easy."


    ire stopped pacing and leaned against her desk; her voice suddenly quieter, more contemtive. "If this is about leverage, it means someone else is pulling strings too. Could Eligos be working with Robert?" "Wait...Robert is involved in this too?" asked Adrian curiously.


    "Apparently, he is not what you thought or people thought he was. Just be careful if he tries to do business with you, Adrian." ire gives him some advice.


    The name hung in the air like an usation. Robert had been ire''s primary suspect for months, and his underhanded dealings and cryptice


    connections painted him as a possible culprit. But now, with Eligos escting his threats and unknown yers entering the game ire felt the foundation of her theories begin to crumble.


    Matthew shook his head, his frustration evident. "I don''t know, ire. It doesn''t add up. Eligos and


    эле


    Robert in the same equation? It''s like trying to mix oil and water. Besides their method to approach ispletely different. Robert talks a lot, and often bluffs while Eligos, talk less but jump into action out of nowhere."


    ire thought for a while. "I mean what you said makes sense, but I don''t know...I feel like this answer


    isn''t what we are looking for. There is more to it than the eyes meet."