I wanted to ask about what I heard, but maybe I was too tired, too sleepy.

Not long after, I drifted to sleep, completely forgetting about Quinn and Xander's conversation.

The next day, Tessa Adams, my friend and the leader of Investigation Unit One, visited me.

"Holly, about the A mission..." she started, but I cut her off.

If there's one thing I learned, bad news always comes after every leader's home visit. And I refuse to hear it.

"Please save it. My mind won't change. I want to come."

"But it's risky. We don't know if the informant was telling us the truth or if it's a trap."

"I know the danger that mission entails, Tessa. I wasn't born yesterday, okay?"

Tessa sighed.

I know I can be a bit stubborn, but I need to be on that mission.

I have answers that I need to find, and it is the one and only case that I haven't closed.

"It's in the underdeveloped part of Ydris Mountain. If something goes wrong, Xander will lose his mind."

Whenever there was danger, Xander would always persuade me to back out from the mission.

I used to find that sweet, so I'd turn missions down without a say. He was all I had left, so his opinion matters the most to me.

But I'm not giving this mission up. Not this time.

"No, I'll go. Don't worry about Xander," I said firmly.

Tessa's eyes lit up. Not to boast, but I am really good at what I do.

Give me a mission, and I'll get the job done. So me being there will make a difference.

"Alright! This could be a game-changer, Holly. If that's really the base of the Mafias, we'd hit a jackpot! This kind of mission leaves no regrets."

Tessa was about to say more when Xander walked in.

Faking a cough, she winked at me and left.

"Xander..."

"I know what you'll say, and I'm saying no."

No? Who said I was asking for permission, though?

"Do you know how dangerous Ydris Mountain is, Holly? God! Why do you have to be so reckless and make everyone worry about you?"

I laughed bitterly. "Care about me? When did you ever care about me?! Weren't you always busy with Quinn? And what? You can go anywhere whenever you want, but I can't?"

Xander didn't say a word. As always.

Whenever we have heated conversations, he'll just slam the door and leave.

Just like what he did right now.

He did text me a few minutes later, though.

"I'm coming home late. Lock the doors, and don't wait for me," he said.

I didn't reply. I didn't need to.

Cold treatments are not new to us anymore.

Instead of being productive, curiosity got the best of me. I wandered into Xander's office.

I've rarely been here. It was his space, and I've always respected it.

Not today, though. I was really curious.

Going in, I saw a slightly ajar cabinet. I hesitated, but my heart pounded.

Dead-curious, I gently pulled the door open and started rifling through the contents.

Suddenly, my fingers brushed against something cold and metallic.

When I looked, I paused.

A gun?

Why would Xander have a gun?

Xander might be cold and distant, but he had never been violent. He's also a businessman, so his work wouldn't require one.

I sat on the floor and carefully scanned the gun in my hand.

Was he in some kind of danger?

Was he hiding something from me?

One scenario came after another, troubling me to my core until I couldn't stop my mind from spinning out of control.

Maybe I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice my phone vibrating.

It wasn’t until I heard the front door open that I snapped back to reality, shoved the gun back, and dashed downstairs.

"Why haven’t you been answering your phone?" Xander asked.

"I-It was on silent," I said, my voice barely steady. "I didn’t hear it."

Xander's eyes narrowed as he approached me, and I panicked.

"I've been calling you for hours. Do you have any idea how worried I've been?"

His concern seemed genuine, but I couldn't stop thinking about the gun.

What was this man hiding?

I was still pretty preoccupied when Xander asked me to have dinner, so all I did was nod.

I was about to confront him when the door swung open, and Quinn's voice filled the silence.

"Evening, Holly!" Quinn greeted, carrying her overnight bag.

What's with the bag? Is stopping by no longer enough for her?

Is she planning to stay over this time?

"Mind if I crash here for a bit?"

Yeah, I figured.

"Of course not," I replied, forcing a smile. "Make yourself at home."

With Quinn around, I felt an indescribable tension. Oddly enough, I felt like she wasn't here for Xander this time, but for me.

We do not talk much, but I could feel her watching my moves closely, and it scared the hell out of me.

By the time we all sat down for dinner, Quinn spoke up.

"So, Holly," she began, casually swirling her fork in her pasta, "how's Xander as a boyfriend?"

I nearly choked on my food.

I glanced at Xander, who seemed just as taken aback as I was.

"He's... fine," I replied cautiously. "Why do you ask?"

Quinn smiled. "Just curious. You two are an interesting pair. Anyway... what would you do if you found out he wasn’t as perfect as you thought?"

My heart skipped a beat.

Is her question random, or was she hinting at something?

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Quinn shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, you know, like if he had secrets? Things he wasn’t telling you. How would you handle that?"

Xander shot Quinn a sharp look. "What are you getting at, Quinn?"

But Quinn only laughed and raised her hands in mock surrender.

"Relax, Xander. I’m just making conversation. It’s just that Holly seems so trusting. It makes me wonder if she ever questions anything."

I forced a laugh, though it sounded hollow even to my own ears. "Everyone has secrets. It’s part of being human."

"True," Quinn said, her gaze never leaving mine. "But some secrets are bigger than others, don’t you think? Like, what if he was involved in something dangerous?"

"That’s enough, Quinn," Xander said sharply. "You’re making Holly uncomfortable."

But Quinn’s smile only widened.

"Sorry, Holly. I didn’t mean to upset you. It was so quiet, so I thought something to think and talk about was good."

Dinner continued in silence. As soon as it was over, I excused myself and went to our room.

Quinn's questions troubled me, though. They kept replaying over and over in my mind.

Was it really nothing? Or was it intentional?

Just then, Xander came inside.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

I nodded, and we sat on the edge of the bed.

"I’m sorry about Quinn. She has a way of pushing buttons."

I looked at him, searching his face for answers. "Xander, is there something you’re not telling me? Something important?"

Xander sighed. "Holly, there are things about my life and my work that I can’t share."

"I'm your girlfriend, Xander. Why not?"

"Because the less you know, the—"

Before Xander could finish, someone knocked, and Quinn poked her head in.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if we could talk, Xander?"

Xander looked at me apologetically. "Can we finish this conversation later?"

Helpless, I nodded.

I'm the girlfriend, but I felt like I was the one borrowing his time.

I was making breakfast the next morning when Quinn walked into the kitchen with a broad smile.

"Guess what, Holly? I’ve decided to move in for a while. Xander and I talked about it last night."

My heart sank.

How could he decide without consulting me?

"Move in?" I echoed.

"Yeah," Quinn said brightly. "I hope you don’t mind. It’ll be fun having another girl around, don’t you think?"

I smiled—pretentiously.

"Sure. It’ll be... interesting."

I cornered Xander in the living room at lunch.

I could tolerate a lot of things, but not this. I felt like I was being disrespected right in the face.

"We need to talk," I said, my voice trembling with barely controlled anger.

Xander looked up from his book, surprised. "About what?"

"About Quinn moving in. You didn't even ask me!"

He sighed and put the book aside. "Holly, it's not a big deal. She's here for work."

"For work?" I scoffed. "What kind of work requires her to live with us and not stay at the office or a hotel?"

"You're overreacting. It's just temporary."

"Temporary or not, you should have talked to me first! You know how I feel about having her here."

His eyes narrowed. "So this is about jealousy, then."

"It's not jealousy. It's about respect. You brought someone into our home without even considering how I might feel about it."

"I didn't think I needed your permission for every little decision."

"Every little decision? This is not a little decision, Xander. This is our home!"

"And I told you, it's for work. You need to trust me."

"I do trust you, but this—this feels wrong." My voice cracked. "Why can't you understand that?"

Xander sighed. "Fine. You want to meet my family? Would that make you feel better? Prove that I'm serious about us?"

I blinked. "Meet your family?"

"Yes. I'll take you to meet my parents. Will that convince you?"

I shook my head, feeling overwhelmed.

"This isn't about your family. It's about you and me. And Quinn."

"So you don't want to meet them?"

"No, I don't," I replied, my tone just as icy.

Xander's face turned red with anger.

I thought he would say something more, but then he turned and stormed out.

Left alone, I went to the bedroom and opened a small cabinet. Inside was a photo worn at the edges. I pulled it out and stared at it.

The man in the picture looked exactly like Xander, but he wasn't Xander.

...

It was already evening when I got out of our room. Quinn was surprisingly waiting for me in the hallway.

What does this girl want again?

"Rough fight?" she teased, smirking.

I was not in the mood, so I planned to walk past her.

But she spoke... and it triggered me. This girl!

"Don't you realize that you and Xander seem to be fighting and fighting only, Holly? Don't you think it's time to reassess things?"

I didn't look at her. "What are you getting at?"

"Just that maybe Xander needs someone who understands his work better. Someone like me."

"And what do you mean by 'someone like you,' Quinn?"

She smiled. "Oh, come on, Holly. Don't play dumb. You know exactly what I mean."

I took a step closer, refusing to back down. "No, I don't. Enlighten me."

Quinn's smile widened. "Xander's work isn't what you think it is. He's not just some businessman. There's a lot more going on than you're aware of."

My heart pounded. "What are you talking about? What kind of work does Xander do?"

She laughed, a cold, mocking sound.

"Oh, you're so clueless, Holly. And it's almost pathetic. Do you really think he's just some regular guy with a regular job?"

"Stop with the games, Quinn. If you know something, just say it."

"Fine. You want the truth? Xander is involved in some very dangerous things. Things that require someone with a strong stomach and a clear understanding of the risks."

I stared at her, my mind racing. "What are you saying? Is he... is he in trouble?"

Quinn's smile turned into a smirk. "Oh, he's not the one in trouble. But you might be, if you don't wake up and see what's right in front of you."

"Stop with the cryptic nonsense!" I snapped. "What is Xander involved in?"

"He's a mafia boss, Holly. You're just too blind to see."