Chasing Shadows

Chapter Seventy-three: "In the Shadows"

The base was quiet when Zane slipped in through the side entrance, the echo of his boots muted against the polished floors. He’d spent the night at Ethan’s—an impulsive decision, considering how things had turned out. But still, it had been worth it. He felt strangely at ease for the first time in a while, like some long-forgotten tension had melted away.

Of course, sneaking back to the base without anyone noticing was easier said than done. He wasn’t surprised to see Rhea standing in the middle of the hall, arms crossed and one eyebrow raised in silent disapproval.

“Where have you been?” she asked, her tone deceptively calm.

Zane shrugged, his lips curling into a half-smile. “Out. Taking care of some business.”

“Business that required an entire night away from the base?” Rhea’s eyes narrowed. “You’re not usually this reckless.”

“Missed me that much, huh?” Zane teased, his smile widening.

“Zane,” Rhea sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You know we’re in the middle of planning a high-profile mission. You can’t just disappear whenever you want.”

“Relax, I’m back now, aren’t I?” Zane replied with a casual wave of his hand. “Besides, I needed to clear my head. It was getting stuffy in here.”

Rhea frowned, studying him for a moment. There was something off about Zane today—an unusual lightness in his demeanor that she couldn’t quite place. She had assumed he was finally moving on from Ethan. It had been months since they last spoke about him, and Rhea had been convinced that Zane was over it.

But now, seeing that familiar, almost boyish grin on his face… she had her doubts.

“You know,” she began slowly, watching his reaction, “I thought you were over your… distractions.”

Zane’s smile faltered for just a fraction of a second before he regained his composure. “And I am. Like I said, I was just out clearing my head.”

“Clearing your head doesn’t usually leave you looking so… satisfied.” Rhea’s voice was laced with suspicion. “Who were you with?”

“No one you need to worry about,” Zane replied, his tone turning a bit sharper. “I handled it.”

Rhea’s gaze hardened. “You can’t keep dodging this. You’re too valuable to be distracted by some fling. If you’re seeing someone, we need to know who. We can’t have any weaknesses right now, Zane. Not with everything that’s coming up.”

Zane sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not like that, Rhea. I know what I’m doing. Can we just drop it?”

“No,” she said flatly. “We can’t. Not until you tell me what’s going on.”

“Rhea—”

“Tell me.”

Zane’s jaw clenched, but he forced himself to relax. There was no use in arguing with her when she got like this. “I was with someone. But it’s not what you think. It’s… complicated.”

“Complicated how?” Rhea asked, her eyes narrowing.

“It just is, okay?” Zane snapped, a flicker of irritation flashing in his gaze. “I’m not getting back into that mess again.”

Rhea crossed her arms, her expression unrelenting. “Good. Because I’m not going to let you waste your time on someone who’ll only hold you back.”

Zane looked away, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah. I know.”

There was a long silence between them, the tension almost palpable. Then Rhea’s expression softened slightly, a hint of something almost like concern flickering in her eyes.