Chapter 1

Three in the morning, and Los Angeles was still sleeping. But I couldn't sit still.

Kane Cross hadn't replied to my messages in three hours.

I stared at my phone screen, that text message "Mission might run long, don't wait up" seeming to mock my worry.

Four months ago, I was just an unlucky college student who accidentally witnessed Diego's drug deal. When Kane first appeared in my life, I thought he was just another cold federal protection officer.

The first month was a blur of fear and adjustment, but gradually, something shifted between us. I never imagined I'd fall in love with him, much less that he'd fall for me too.

The path from protector to lover had been treacherous. Every day I worried about becoming his burden, worried that my witness status would destroy his career.

Tonight, those fears became reality.

The federal safe house was eerily quiet, only the air conditioner's hum reminding me that time was slipping away. He'd said this mission was dangerous.

My fingers hovered over the phone keyboard, wanting to text but not daring to. Kane had emphasized repeatedly that undercover operations couldn't tolerate any interference. But still...

"Damn it." I shot to my feet.

For three months, he'd checked in like clockwork after every mission. Tonight was different. I could feel it. That unease crawled through my chest like ants, making it impossible to just sit here waiting.

I grabbed my car keys, Kane's low warning echoing in my mind: "Josie, no matter what happens, don't leave the safe house."

Sorry, Kane. Not this time.

I snatched the keys and bolted from the safe house, my hands still shaking as I started the engine. All the way there, I told myself I was just confirming he was safe, but deep down, I knew what I was really afraid of.

The east side's night felt thicker, as if you could smell the cocktail of drugs and desperation in the air. I parked two blocks from the abandoned factory and crept in on foot.

The moon hid behind clouds, only occasional passing headlights providing weak illumination. My heartbeat thundered in my ears, each step like walking on knife's edge.

Yellow light spilled from the factory windows. I crouched behind a pile of discarded tires, peering through broken glass.

Then my world shattered.

Kane stood in the light, beside him a breathtakingly beautiful blonde woman. She wore a tight black dress that hugged her curves, whispering something close to his ear.

The distance was too great to hear their conversation.

But what I saw next froze my blood instantly.

The woman suddenly rose on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around Kane's neck, and kissed him.

And Kane... he didn't push her away.

No, this couldn't be happening...

In those three months, Kane had been my only anchor in this dangerous world. When all of Los Angeles might harbor people who wanted me dead, only his embrace made me feel safe. I thought we'd bridged the gap between our roles, thought love really could conquer everything...

But I was wrong. I was always just a witness who needed protection, while he... he needed someone who could truly fight alongside him.

My hands began trembling, gripping the tire's edge. The image of their kiss burned before my eyes, every detail cruelly clear. Her hand stroking his nape, his arms around her waist...

Just like Diego used to hold that other woman.

"Don't look at me like that, Josie. You're too uptight. Why don't we find another girl to join us? Then you could learn to loosen up."

Diego's disgusting voice echoed in my mind, along with his smug face. Memories flooded back like a tide, drowning my rationality.

I remembered that rainy night when I pushed open Diego's apartment door to find him tangled in bed with a stranger. I remembered his shameless pride, his excited expression when suggesting those perverted arrangements.

"Am I really so unworthy of being loved exclusively?"

Tears blurred my vision as I stumbled back to my car. The engine's roar was harsh in the silent night, but I was beyond caring.

Kane's voice echoed in my head: "You're everything to me, Josie."

Everything? Including that blonde woman?

I don't know how I drove back to the safe house. The whole journey felt like a nightmare, LA's neon lights becoming blurred streaks through my tears. My hands gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles went white, the scene replaying endlessly in my mind.

The safe house door slammed shut behind me, like closing the door on our relationship.

I walked mechanically to the bedroom and began packing. Every piece of clothing carried memories of my time with Kane, but now they only made me sick.

That light blue sweater he'd given me.

"This color suits you," he'd said. "Like LA's morning sky."

I threw it in the trash.

On the table sat the strawberries he'd bought yesterday, saying he noticed I always chewed my pencil when drawing and wanted to give me a healthier habit.

All lies. Sweet, carefully crafted lies.

I dialed the federal witness protection emergency hotline.

"Hello? This is Josie Miller, number FWP-2024-0847. I need immediate transfer to a new safe house."

"Miss Miller? It's four in the morning. Has there been an emergency?"

"There's been a compromise in the current protection protocol." My voice was eerily calm. "I need a new protection officer. Immediately."

Silence on the other end for several seconds. "We'll dispatch a car right away. Please be ready in twenty minutes."

Twenty minutes.

I left a note on the table, each word carved like a wound in my heart:

Kane, The agreement is over. I don't need your protection anymore. Don't look for me. — Josie

I set down the pen and took one last look at this place that had once felt so warm. Twenty minutes passed quickly, the punctual engine sound breaking the night's silence.

I dragged my suitcase toward the door. Each step felt like walking to an execution, but I had to keep going.

I couldn't give him another chance to hurt me.

As the car door opened, I heard the distant sound of a motorcycle engine. That familiar sound nearly stopped my heart.

Kane was back.

"Hurry, get in!" I practically dove into the backseat.

The federal agent gave me a puzzled look but quickly started the car. Through the rearview mirror, I saw a headlight approaching rapidly in the distance.

Don't look back, Josie. Don't give him another chance.

As we pulled away from the safe house, I caught sight of Kane's figure at the edge of the mirror. He stood in the empty driveway, his silhouette so lonely against the night.

But this was all his choice.

I closed my eyes as tears finally broke free.

LA's night swallowed the distance between us, along with the love I once thought would last forever.

Goodbye, Kane.

Goodbye to what I thought was "forever."