****

Marcus Blackwood didn't knock on the door of the office.

He didn't have too.

The doors people locked, the cameras they trusted, the guards they paid,none of it ever really kept him out. He moved through spaces like he belonged there, like the air itself stepped aside for him.

Tonight, though, he didn't move like a shadow, he walked into Elara's office the way a man walks into a place that knows him too well.

*******

Her office place was very nice,spacious but painfully controlled, lights. Screens lining one wall, all displaying different feeds traffic cameras, building layouts, security logs, and one very specific thing in the center of it all:

Noah Vale's digital footprint was on her computer screen.

Marcus didn't look at the screens right away. His eyes went straight to her.

Elara stood with her back to him, one hand resting on the edge of her desk, posture straight like steel, Even standing still, she radiated command.with her black blazer , her Hair tied low. Face carved into something unreadable,very beautiful.

"Close the door," she said, not turning.

He did.

*********

Silence stretched between them, thick, familiar, loaded with things neither of them wanted to say out loud.

Finally, Marcus leaned against the wall, hands shoved lazily into his pockets. "You look tense. More than usual.

Elara turned slowly.

******

Her eyes met his, sharp, searching, almost cutting and is that supposed to be a joke ?? Marcus, You fully know what we are up against.

His lips twitched. "I didn't say it was."

She exhaled, short and controlled, walking around the desk to face him properly. Up close, the cracks in her armor were harder to hide. There was something tight around her mouth, something restless in the way her fingers curled.

"This mission," she said, voice low, steady, "is different."

He straightened a little.

"I know," he replied, and he has already taken the bait.

She studied him for a long moment, as if trying to see past the calm exterior, past the charming smile he wore like a second skin.

Marcus Blackwood he is ruggedly handsome, sexy and has quite a charm. Trained since childhood. Shaped by a world that was cruel, secretive, and merciless.

They'd taken him young. Molded him. Broken him in ways no one ever saw.

He is a trained assassin,a solider.

Raised among creatures who moved faster than humans, who saw in the dark, who taught him to feel nothing when he was meant to kill. They'd sharpened him like a blade, then handed him to Elara like an extension of her will.

But somewhere along the way, he'd become more than just a tool, Elara has fallen so deep in love with him but it was against the rule in the council.

******

Elara stepped closer, close enough that the space between them felt charged, delicate, dangerous. "You know what's at stake."

"I always do," Marcus said quietly.

She swallowed, then straightened her shoulders, slipping back into command. "No mistakes. No hesitation. No attachments."

His gaze flickered, she noticed .

Hope you understand me Marcusm

Marcus tilted his head, studying her like he always did-too aware, too perceptive. "You're asking me to do what I've always done."

*******

"Yes," she said. "But this time..." Her voice faltered for half a second before she forced it steady again. "This time, it's kimd of different and if we fail this mission we all are doomed.

*********

Then, softer than she intended, "You know what to do."

Marcus's expression shifted, just barely. Something flickered beneath the calm-something deeper, warmer, more dangerous than any mission.

"I always do, Commander."

She hated when he called her that.

Because it reminded her of who she was supposed to be with him.

*********

Not the woman who stayed up at night thinking about the way his voice sounded when he was tired.

Not the woman who memorized the small scar along his collarbone like it was a secret only she was allowed to know.

Just his superior, nothing more,

********

Elara turned away abruptly, focusing on the screens again. "We're monitoring everything. His movements. His calls. His habits. His online activity."

Marcus stepped up beside her, eyes drifting to the main screen in the center.

There he was.

Noah Vale.

At home,he sprawled on his couch in a soft gray sweater, phone in hand, expression too relaxed for a man who ruled an empire, of late he has being very relaxed ever since he got on that dating app.

Marcus watched him in silence.

Elara glanced at him. "He doesn't suspect anything."

"Good," Marcus said.

But his tone wasn't quite right.

*********

She switched screens, pulling up another feed,Noah's phone activity. Chat logs. The dating app. Messages flowing back and forth between Noah and "Louis."

Marcus's fake profile.

Her eyes flicked back to him. "You've been talking to him."

"I have," he admitted, And??

Marcus leaned slightly against the desk now, eyes still on the screen. "He's... not what I expected."

Elara looked surprised,"What does that mean?"

He hesitated, just for a breath. "He's not arrogant. Not cruel. Not calculating the way the council thinks. He jokes. He overthinks. He sends too many messages when he gets nervous."

Her brows knitted. "That doesn't change anything."

"No," Marcus agreed. "It doesn't."

But his gaze lingered on Noah's face a second longer than necessary.

Marcus felt something his heart beat beating more faster in his chest

He ignored it.

Elara cleared her throat. I think he's already falling for you.

Marcus finally tore his eyes away. "He thinks he is."

"No," she corrected, sharper now. "He is. I've watched his behavior shift over the past week. He checks his phone constantly. He smiles at nothing. He loses focus in meetings. That is not the Noah Vale we know."

A pause.

"And that's exactly what we need," she added coldly.

Marcus didn't respond right away.

Instead, his mind drifted back to last night.

*********

Noah, lying in bed, talking to "Louis" in a low, breathy voice that made Marcus's pulse feel heavier than it should have. They'd talked about nothing and everything stupid things, real things, ridiculous things.

Noah had admitted, half-joking, half-serious, that he'd never felt this way about anyone before.

Marcus had laughed it off.

But now, remembering it, his throat felt tight.

Elara leaned closer to the screen, voice all business again. "His birthday is approaching. That's when everything aligns. That's when we move."

Marcus pushed himself off the desk, straightening. "I'll be ready."

She turned to face him fully, searching his face with that piercing gaze of hers. "You're not attached."

It wasn't really a question.

He met her eyes. "No."

She turned away before he could see how relieved she felt when he responded NO.

Marcus stayed where he was, watching her back, feeling the familiar pull between them like a live wire neither of them would touch.

******

Elara cared for him. Everyone knew it. Even the council whispered about it.

But she would never admit it.

Not to him. Not to herself.

She buried it under authority, under duty, under the armor of command.

And Marcus pretended he didn't notice as well.

Because loving her out loud would only make everything more complicated than it already was.

*********

Across town, Noah Vale was doing something he hadn't done in years.

He was smiling at his phone like a lovesick puppy.

Curled up on his couch, feet tucked under him, hair slightly messy from running his hands through it too many times, he stared at the screen with an expression that made him look years younger.

Louis:

You still there, handsome?

Noah felt heat rush to his face before he could stop it.

Handsome.

He typed, deleted, typed again,nah, I don't want him to feel i am desperate.

Noah:

Unfortunately for my pride... yes.

A bubble appeared almost instantly.

Louis:

Good. I like when you stay.

Noah let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

He rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling, all giggling,His chest felt light in a way he didn't recognize, fluttery, almost dizzy.

*********

He thought about what Ethan had said in the diner.

When was the last time someone touched you?

He swallowed.

Not like this. Never like this.

*****

He and Louis had never even met, and yet Noah felt more seen than he had in years. They talked late into the night. They shared stupid confessions. Louis teased him gently, made him laugh, made him blush, made him feel things he'd convinced himself he didn't have time for.

His phone pinged again.

Louis:

What are you doing right now?

Noah bit his lip before replying.

Noah:

Lying on my couch, staring at my ceiling like it owes me money.

*******

Louis:

Are you always this dramatic handsome.

Noah huffed out a soft laugh.

Noah:

Only on Wednesdays.

Louis sent a laughing emoji.

Noah stared at it longer than he should have.

He found himself wondering what Louis looked like when he laughed. Whether his eyes crinkled. Whether his voice dropped. Whether he bit his lip like Noah did when he was nervous.

The thought made his heart race, and his d**k hard.

He typed again.

Noah:

When are we finally going to meet?

The three dots appeared almost instantly..

Then disappeared,he didn't respond.

Noah felt sad.

Across the city, in Elara's office, Marcus watched that message pop up on the screen.

His fingers hovered over his own phone.

Elara's voice echoed in his head.

Remember no strings attached,you know what we are up against.

He stared at Noah's profile picture-a candid shot, hair slightly messy, suit jacket draped over one shoulder, eyes warm in a way that felt unfair.

Marcus exhaled slowly.

His thumb finally moved.

Louis:

Very soon.

Back in his penthouse, Noah's heart skipped.

He rolled onto his side, phone pressed to his chest, a stupid grin tugging at his mouth.

Very soon.

He didn't know why, but it felt like a promise.

******

Marcus stayed in Elara's office long after the message was sent to Noah.

********

The room felt smaller now, heavier, like the air itself had chosen sides. The monitors in the office hummed softly and one very focused image of Noah Vale laughing at something on his phone, unaware that is life was already threaded into a plan far bigger than him.

********

Elara stood rigid, arms folded behind her back, eyes fixed ahead like a commander refusing to blink in the face of an oncoming storm.

Marcus said nothing,he was looking at the computer screen.

That silence between them had always been a language of its own , filled with unspoken things, buried truths, and emotions neither of them dared to reach for.

Finally, Elara spoke, her voice very steel.

"Leave."

*******

Marcus pushed off the wall and moved toward the door, his footsteps soundless against the polished floor. His hand rested on the handle, but he paused.

For a fleeting second, he almost turned back.

Almost said her name.

Almost crossed a line he had spent years pretending didn't exist.

Instead, he opened the door and stepped into the hallway, letting it close behind him with a soft, definitive click.

The moment he was out of sight, Elara let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

Her hand curled against the desk, nails pressing into the smooth surface.

She told herself it was only stress.

She lied obviously.

********

Across the city, dawn drew nigh at Noah Vale's penthouse, painting the room in pale gold.

He didn't sleep much, he hadn't for years now.

But last night, he had slept... differently.

Not peacefully, his mind had been too alive for that but lighter, like something inside him had loosened just a little.

He woke with his phone still in his hand, Louis's last message glowing faintly on the screen.

Very soon.

Noah stared at it for a long moment,he started blushing just by looking over his phone that morning.

He didn't know why they felt so significant.

Why that simple reply sat in his chest like something warm, something dangerous, something real.

He rolled onto his back, exhaling slowly, eyes drifting up to the high ceiling above him.

For the first time in a long time, he didn't feel alone in his own head.

By the time he stepped into Vale Tower that morning, Noah was back in his arrogant CEO mode.

Perfect posture. Neutral expression. Eyes sharp enough to make executives straighten instinctively when he passed.

The lobby was made with glass, steel, and wealth a temple built in his family's name.

His secretary, Mara, was already waiting for him by the elevator, tablet pressed to her chest, lips tight in her usual efficient line, with her black suit pants and a silk top to go with.

"Good morning, Mr. Vale," she said smoothly.

Noah nodded once. "Morning."

The elevator doors slid shut around them, carrying him upward in silence.

When they reached his floor, the doors opened to polished marble, and the hum of power that came with running an empire.

Mara walked beside him toward his office.

"Your ten o'clock interview has been scheduled," she said.The assistant candidate you requested has been confirmed sir.

Noah didn't slow down.

His mind flickered briefly to the endless stack of resumes he'd skimmed, to the faces that blurred together into one forgettable mass.

He reached his office door, pausing just long enough to glance at her.

Send them in when it's time ok.

His voice was cool and controlled .

Mara inclined her head. "Of course, sir."

Inside his office, the space was immaculate - sleek, modern, intimidating in its perfection. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city, clouds drifting lazily in the distance like they had no idea of the power housed within these walls.

Noah shrugged off his jacket, draping it over the back of his chair before sitting down.

His phone buzzed once on the desk.

He flipped it over, then stopped himself.

Work first.

He pressed the intercom. Hey Mara, please get me my morning coffee make it black, no cream,no sugar,then he hung up

"Immediately."

He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled beneath his chin, gaze drifting out still in deep thoughts about his mysterious lover.

On the surface, Noah Vale looked composed.

Inside, his thoughts were still tangled in late-night laughter, teasing messages, and a man he had never met but already fallen in love with.

He didn't have time for that, he told himself that

And yet, his phone lay dangerously close to his hand.

*******

Ten o'clock arrived like a drumbeat.

Mara knocked once, sharp and professional.

"Mr. Vale, your interview is here."

Noah didn't look up from his screen. "Send him in."

The door opened, he looked very confident ,and handsome.

Noah kept his eyes on his computer for another second, then slowly lifted his gaze.

Immediately Noah felt a pull.

For just a heartbeat a single, treacherous, suspended moment everything else faded.

The man standing across from his desk wasn't what he expected.

He stood tall, posture relaxed but alert, hands loosely at his sides, dark coat fitted perfectly to his frame. His face was composed, but there was something restless beneath it - something alive, dangerous, magnetic.

Dark hair. Very distinctive features,his eyes were gray like he has seen too much.

Marcus Blackwood.

But to Noah, he was just... the assistant.

Their eyes met.

Something passed between them very subtle, electric, impossible to name.

Noah felt it first in his chest, then in his throat, then lower, like a quiet pull he couldn't explain.

The man didn't flinch.

Didn't look intimidated.

If anything, his gaze lingered just long enough to be considered bold.

Noah cleared his throat, breaking the silence first.

"Sit."

Marcus moved smoothly into the chair opposite him, settling in with unshakable ease, like he had been in rooms like this his entire life.

Noah watched him too closely.

He hated that he noticed the small details - the way the man's fingers rested loosely on his knee, the faint scar near his collarbone peeking above his shirt, the calm confidence that didn't feel rehearsed.

It felt earned.

Mara placed the coffee on Noah's desk,black, untouched, exactly as ordered.

They were alone.

Noah leaned back slightly, folding his hands over the edge of the desk.

"Marcus Blackwood," he said, glancing briefly at the file on his screen. "Impressive credentials."

Marcus tilted his head slightly. "I tend to do my job well sir.

Noah's lips twitched, barely. "Confident."

"Prepared."

Their eyes locked again.

Too long this time.

Noah felt something strange coil in his stomach - not fear, not suspicion, but something far more unsettling.

Not in a literal sense... but in a way that made his pulse shift.

He tapped his pen against the desk.

"Why do you want this position?"

Marcus studied him openly now, as if weighing his words with surgical precision.

"Because I work best close to power," he replied evenly. "And you're the center of it."

Noah exhaled slowly through his nose.

There it was again - that pull, there's something about Marcus he thought to himself.

He hated how aware he suddenly felt of his own breathing, his own heartbeat.

Marcus's gaze flickered briefly to Noah's hands, then back to his face.

No one spoke.

The office felt smaller, warmer, charged in a way it never had before.

Finally, Noah broke the tension with a sharp, professional tone.

"You'll be on a probationary period. One mistake.....

"I don't make mistakes," Marcus cut in, not rudely, just... certain.

Noah stared at him...Hmmm I love the way you are bold ..

His coffee sat untouched.

Marcus remained still, gaze unwavering.

Noah finally straightened himself slowly,and he spoke in a much lower tone.

"Welcome to Vale Tower, Mr. Blackwood."

Marcus's lips curved - not quite a smile, but close enough to be lethal.

"Thank you, Mr. Vale."

Their eyes met.

Just a second too long.

And in that suspended moment between power, lies, secrets, and fate something clicked into place.

Neither of them knew it yet.

But this meeting wasn't chance.

It was the beginning of his destiny and he man who just walked into his office was the same person he has been chatting with for months

************

********

Marcus learned quickly that wearing two faces at once was heavier than any weapon he had ever carried.

By day, he was Marcus Blackwood , the flawless assistant, who is always two steps ahead, always calm, always efficient. He moved through Vale Tower like he had been born there: coffee ready before Noah asked, files arranged before meetings, emails drafted before problems even fully formed.

People noticed him, he is quite efficient, some of the workers murmured.

**********

Executives straightened when he entered a room. Staff whispered that he was cold, too sharp, too unreadable. But Noah... Noah noticed different things.

********

The way Marcus never rushed.

The way he listened without interrupting.

The way his eyes softened just a little, when Noah spoke about something personal.

Marcus felt it every time, he feels so attracted to Noah and it's not the mission.

At night, though, the mask changed.

By night, he was Louis.

Sitting alone in his cozy apartment with the lights low, phone in his hand, heart far less controlled than he liked to admit.

He would open the dating app and see Noah's name pop up, and something in his chest would twist before he even read the message.

Noah:

I had a long day,my brain is fried I must confess.

Louis:

Talk to me. I'm here.

And Noah would talk.

About board meetings that drained him. About how everyone saw the billionaire, but no one saw the man. About how lonely it felt at the top, how quiet his penthouse was at night, how tired he was of smiling for cameras.

Every word hit Marcus like a small cut, he tries to hide the guilt

He told himself it was just guilt and nothing more

Just the weight of deception.

But when Noah typed:

Noah:

I can't stop thinking about you... I keep wondering what your lips would feel like on mine. I want to kiss you so bad. And maybe more... like really be with you. Properly.

Marcus felt his breath hitch.

His thumb hovered over the screen.

He stared at those words again and again, feeling something rise in his chest that he had no name for.

He wanted to tell Noah the truth.Dang what the hell am i doing.

Wanted to say: It's me. I'm right here. I'm not who you think I am.

But he didn't, the Elders will kill him if he does that, he typed instead:

Louis:

You deserve someone real. Someone who can hold you, not just text you.

Noah replied almost instantly.

Noah:

I think that someone might be you.

Marcus dropped his phone onto his chest and stared at the ceiling.

Guilt settled heavy and deep.

*********

Two nights later, Noah stood in front of his closet, trying on his third outfit.

His mother had called him earlier.

" Hello honey will you come home for dinner, Noah. Just us, i promise now to talk about buisness.

He had tried to refuse at first said he was busy, tired, overwhelmed but his father had taken the phone and said, softly, "We miss you, son."

So now he found himself standing in his bedroom, adjusting the sleeves of a crisp navy shirt, hair styled.

He arrived at the Vale mansion just before sunset.

The house looked the same as always, tall gates, wide driveway, warm golden lights spilling from every window like a heartbeat made of glass and stone.

His father, Richard Vale, met him at the door before he could even knock.

Noah barely had time to smile before strong arms wrapped around him.

"My boy," Richard said, voice thick in a way.

Noah hugged him back, harder than he expected to.

Inside, the house smelled like garlic, herbs, and something sweet baking in the kitchen a smell Noah hadn't realized he missed until it hit him.

His mother, appeared in the hallway with a wooden spoon still in her hand, eyes bright.

"There he is!" my little boy who has grown so tall and big she said, pulling him into a quick, tight hug. "You look too thin. Are you even eating? honey

Noah laughed. "Mom, I eat."

She clicked her tongue. "Your assistant better be feeding you properly."

They moved to the dining room together, talking easily, comfortably, like no time had passed.

Over dinner, Richard asked about work.

Board struggles. New tech developments. Political shifts that could affect the company. Noah answered calmly, confidently, slipping into CEO mode without even realizing it.

His father watched him with quiet pride.

You've built something powerful, Noah, Richard said finally. "Not just money. Influence. Legacy."

Noah swallowed, nodding. "Couldn't have done it without you."

His mum smirked, leaning back in her chair. "All that power, all that success... and still no one to share your bed with."

Noah nearly choked on his water.

"Mom......

She grinned mischievously. "What? I'm just saying. Your birthday is coming up. Perfect time to snatch someone who catches your fantasy."

Richard chuckled softly. "Your mother has been watching too many romance shows."

They all laughed over dessert warm chocolate cake, rich and comforting,he felt the love,seen and human

*********

The drive back to his penthouse felt longer than usual.

He kept replaying the warmth of his parents' voices, the sound of his mother's laughter, the steady pride in his father's eyes.

When he reached home, the space greeted him in silence.

Too much silence.

He took off his jacket and called softly, "Lena?"

His housekeeper stepped out from the kitchen. "Yes, sir?"

"You can go home for the night," he said gently. "I'll be fine."

She hesitated. "Are you sure?" Mr vale

He nodded. "Get some rest."

When the door closed behind her, the penthouse felt even emptier.

Noah wandered to the living room, turning on the massive television. A nature documentary filled the screen ,oceans, whales singing in the deep, waves crashing softly against cliffs.

He laid on the couch, staring blankly.

The words washed over him, but nothing stuck.

His mind kept drifting, back to the late night messages

To Louis.

And, strangely... to Marcus.

He pictured the moment in his office - the way their eyes had met, the quiet intensity in Marcus's gaze, the strange pull he had felt in his chest.

He shifted on the couch, frowning slightly.

Why did thinking about his assistant make his pulse change?

He leaned his head back, rubbing a hand over his face.

Maybe he was just lonely.

The documentary droned on, but his thoughts slipped elsewhere.

Then softly, like wind moving through a faraway forest he heard it again.

A whisper, it wasn't from the TV, it was from his head.

Noah...

His breath stilled.

You are a destined child... don't forget who you are.

His heart began to pound.

Images flashed behind his closed eyes silver moonlight, blood on stone, figures moving too fast to see, flames licking the sky.

He sat up quickly, his chest rising and falling too fast.

The room was silent again, feeling bright, normal and safe.

He let out a shaky breath, pressing a hand to his temple.

"Get it together," he muttered to himself. "You're just tired."

Still, his fingers trembled slightly as he turned off the television.

He climbed the stairs to his bedroom slowly, every step heavier than the last.

In his room, he stood for a moment wondering what it will look kiss Louis lips.

********

Somewhere out there, Marcus or Louis - was awake too.

Somewhere out there, something ancient and hungry was watching him, and it was counting days for him to activate the curse.