After obtaining the information he needed from Luna, Ss didn''t rush into action. He didn''t immediately set his ns of revenge into motion against the group responsible for what Chloe and her family had been through.


    Instead, he made a deliberate choice to spend time with Chloe. It had been more than two years since hest saw her, and now, sitting across from her in a quiet café tucked away from the bustling streets, he could barely take his eyes off her.


    She looked radiant, even more beautiful than he remembered. Her long, auburn hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing a face that seemed untouched by the hardship she had endured.


    Her eyes sparkled with warmth and familiarity, yet Ss couldn''t ignore the subtle weariness in them. They were evidence of the burdens she had carried.


    Ss wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms, stroke her long, soft hair, and whisper into her ears how much he missed her.


    The yearning he felt for her was almost overwhelming, if not overwhelming, but he restrained himself. He wasn''t sure if he deserved that moment, not yet, not after everything that had happened.


    But as he gazed at her, another face shed unbidden in his mind: Céline''s. Her yful smirk, her teasing eyes, the way she clung to him that night in Paris.


    The memory was unwee and unexpected, and it unsettled him. Ss frowned slightly, catching himself before Chloe could notice.


    He couldn''t understand why Céline''s image has kept resurfacing in his thoughtstely. To him, their night together had meant nothing to him—just a fleeting, physical connection born out of convenience and nothing more.


    No emotions, no deeper meaning. And yet, her presence lingered in his mind, like a shadow he couldn''t quite shake.


    Ss quickly forced a smile as he cleared the thoughts from his head. Now wasn''t the time for distractions.


    He was here with Chloe, the person who had once been the most importantahd will always be the most important part of his life, and he wasn''t about to let memories of another woman intrude on this moment


    "Ss?" Chloe''s gentle voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present.


    She was looking at him with a mix of curiosity and concern, her hands wrapped around a steaming cup of tea. "You seem distracted. Is everything okay?"


    He forced a small smile, shaking his head slightly. "Yeah, I''m fine. Just… thinking about how long it''s been since I''ve seen you. You look beautiful."


    Chloe smiled, a soft, bittersweet expression that tugged at Ss''s heart. "It has been a while. A lot has changed, hasn''t it?"


    "Yeah," Ss said quietly, his gaze dropping to his own cup. "Too much, maybe."


    There was a pause as they both let the weight of those words settle. Ss could feel the unspoken questions hanging in the air—about where he''d been, what he''d been doing, why he''d disappeared without a trace. He wasn''t ready to answer those questions, not yet.


    Instead, he shifted the conversation to her. "How have you been holding up? After… everything?"


    Chloe''s smile faltered, and she looked down at her tea. "It''s been tough," she admitted. "But we''re managing. My dad and my sisters are holding up as best they can. And we have been trying to keep things together for everyone."


    Ss felt his chest tightened when he heard what she said. With his experience with Daniel and the Bureau, Ss knew exactly what people like them are capable of, and this is why hepletely understands what Chloe''s feeling.


    "I''m sorry," Ss said softly, his voice filled with genuine regret. "I should have been there."


    Chloe looked up at him, her expression softening. "It''s not your fault, Ss. You didn''t know. And even if you did… what could you have done?"


    ''More than you can imagine,'' Ss thought but didn''t say. He simply nodded, letting the moment pass.


    Their conversation continued as they talked about different casual topics, lightening the mood as they took their minds off the serious topics.


    Chloe made sure not to touch on any sensitive topic and Ss did his best to be a listening ear.


    The day went by and it was finally evening. The two of them were a little reluctant to leave each other but they knew that they have to leave.


    The two of them stood up and left the cafe shop. They stood for a while, enjoying the evening view of the city around them and enjoying the light, cool breeze that kept hitting against them.


    "I will see youter, then?" Chloe said as she looked at the hotel that was just a short walking distance from their current position.


    "Yeah,ter. Do take care." Ss said.


    Chloe nodded and started walking towards the hotel, while Ss got into his car and made his way home.


    ...


    The next morning, Ss sat in his office in the sprawling estate, his jaw set and his eyes cold as he scanned the details Luna had gathered.


    Disyed on the Gear''s screen, is a dossier of information in front of him. Names, photos, affiliations, and every dirty little secret of the individuals who had targeted Chloe''s family.


    {The group responsible is a private organization, masquerading as an independent contracting firm.


    They''re known for taking high-value jobs from governments and corporations, particrly those involving intelligence gathering, abductions, and high-pressure negotiations.


    Their true employer, however, remains obscured. Whoever hired them was smart enough to use severalyers of intermediaries to cover their tracks.}


    "Typical cowards," Ss muttered, his fingers curling into fists.


    {Their primary field agent on this assignment was a man named Leon Vargas. He''s been sighted in Caracas recently.}


    "Vargas…" Ss repeated the name, the sybles sharp on his tongue. "And his employers?"


    {No direct evidence yet. But cross-referencing their movements and known operations, I''ve identified some likely suspects.} Luna brought up a list of corporate logos, shadowy government departments, and faceless private entities.


    {I suggest targeting Vargas first. Extracting information from him should lead us to the source.}


    Ss leaned back in his chair, his mind already crafting a n. "Where is he now?"


    {As of two hours ago, he was spotted at a securepound outside the city. The location has a high probability of housing their local operations hub.}


    Ss smirked, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "Good. Time to pay them a visit."


    That night, Ss stood atop a hill overlooking thepound. It was a sprawling facility, surrounded by high fences topped with razor wire.


    Armed guards patrolled the perimeter, their movements predictable and sluggish. Ss watched them for a moment, then smirked.


    "They always think they''re untouchable," he muttered to himself.


    {Are you certain you want to handle this personally? I can take care of it for you.}


    "No, Luna," Ss replied, his voice firm. "This is personal. They went after Chloe and her family. I want them to understand what it means to cross me."


    {Understood. Your entry point is the western wall. I''ve done the necessary.}


    Ss moved swiftly, his footsteps silent as a shadow. Reaching the wall, he crouched low, his enhanced body moving with feline grace. With a slight push, he vaulted over the razor wire,nding without a sound on the other side.


    Ss could had flown into thepound directly but he didn''t want to cause a scene.


    The first guard didn''t even see himing. Ss approached from behind, a quick chop to the neck rendering the man unconscious before he hit the ground.


    He moved through thepound like a ghost, dismantling the defenses one by one. Guards crumpled silently, their weapons confiscated and theirms jammed, though it still worked perfectly. By the time the remaining patrols realized something was wrong, it was already toote.


    Ss breached the main building, his footsteps echoing faintly in the dimly lit hallways.


    He found Vargas in a private office, lounging behind a desk with a ss of whiskey in hand.


    The man was tall and lean, his dark hair slicked back, and his suit tailored to perfection. He looked up as Ss entered, his eyes narrowing.


    "Well, well," Vargas drawled, setting his ss down. "I wasn''t expecting a visit from the infamous Ss Kurt. To what do I owe the pleasure?"


    Vargas was very shocked to see Ss. He knew that Venezu was most likely his base of operations now but he didn''t expect a visit from do soon. And with the look that Ss is giving him, he knew that something was up.


    Ss didn''t respond immediately. He stepped forward, his presence filling the room, and fixed Vargas with an icy stare. "You made a mistake, Vargas."


    Vargas chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Mistake? I think you''re mistaken. Whatever you''re using me of, I assure you, I''m just a businessman doing his job."


    Ss tilted his head, his gaze unwavering. "Your ''job'' included targeting an innocent family. You harassed them, crippled their livelihood, and tried to abduct one of them. You think that goes unnoticed?"


    For the first time, Vargas''s cocky demeanor faltered. He shifted in his chair, his hand inching toward the drawer of his desk.


    He didn''t know that the reason for Ss'' visit was this. He remembered what happened to Daniel after he messed with his Ss'' family and he knew that he would suffer the same fate.


    But before that, he had to warn them. He subtly stretched out his hand to press the emergency button attached to under the table.


    Ss noticed and moved in an instant. Before Vargas could blink, Ss had him pinned against the wall, his hand wrapped tightly around his throat.


    "You don''t seem to understand," Ss said, his voice low and menacing. "I don''t care who hired you. I don''t care what your reasons were. All I care about is making sure you never touch Chloe or her family again."


    Vargas struggled, his face turning red as he wed at Ss''s grip. "You… won''t… get away with this," he choked out.


    Ss tightened his grip just enough to make Vargas panic, then released him, letting the man copse to the floor in a coughing fit.


    "Now," Ss said, crouching down to meet Vargas''s gaze, "you''re going to tell me everything. Who hired you, why, and where I can find them. Or I''ll make sure this is thest job you ever take."


    .....


    By the time Ss left thepound, Vargas had spilled everything. His employer was a conglomerate with deep ties to both corporate and governmental interests, and their ultimate goal was to leverage Chloe''s connection to Ss to get to him.


    Ss''s eyes burned with fury as he walked away, leaving thepound in chaos. He had what he needed and now it''s time toplete everything.