Luca froze. "Luzen?"
His face went pale in an instant.
"Impossible. Luzen was with me last night. How could there be another Luzen with them when he was in my apartment the whole time?"
He took a step back, legs weakening before he sank onto the sofa again. His mind spun, trying to process something that didn't make sense.
"As for why someone who looked exactly like Luzen was there, I don't know either," Vernon said. "That's what my men reported. They also sent CCTV footage linked through our satellite. I've forwarded it to you."
Vernon stood up, genuinely surprised by the way Luca reacted upon hearing Luzen's name.
From the slightest shift in his posture, it was obvious—Luzen wasn't just another target to Luca. He occupied a corner of Luca's heart.
Luca… in all the years I've known you, you've never reacted this way to any target. Not once. Is this time truly different? Did I make a mistake sending you to him?
Vernon questioned himself silently.
Watching Luca for years, seeing how easily he sealed away his feelings from every man and woman he ever seduced, Vernon had believed Luca was incapable of falling in love.
Even he, who had stayed by Luca's side longest, had never been allowed to touch even the faintest edge of Luca's heart.
To Vernon, Luca's heart was like a chasm with no visible bottom—far too distant to reach.
So why could one man make him tremble like this?
Heat pulsed beneath Vernon's ribs, a dark surge of jealousy thundering through his veins.
In that moment, he understood:
Dominic Luzen Vadelard had officially entered the list of men Vernon wanted to eliminate—for daring to draw Luca's attention.
Meanwhile, Luca was recalling last night.
He had slept deeply—too deeply.
"Damn it. Did something slip last night? Was I really sleeping that soundly? How could he have left without me noticing?"
His thoughts tangled. He quickly opened his laptop and accessed the file Vernon had sent.
Luca played the video. He watched every second with sharp focus. Not a single moment escaped him.
It was dark, poorly lit, filled with figures dressed in black. Identifying them was nearly impossible.
The timestamp read 2:30 AM.
And Luca remembered: he had fallen asleep at 11:30 with Luzen beside him.
Any movement from Luzen would have awakened him.
Ten years of brutal training had made him hyper-aware of the slightest sound—even a lizard's feet on the wall.
So why had he slept so deeply?
Had his senses dulled?
The video continued.
At minute 15, the camera angle shifted inside the mansion, on the second-floor bedroom.
Shock tightened in Luca's chest.
It was obvious—the man had gone there to look for something. Something tied to Luca.
Keeping his face still, Luca forced control over his expression. He didn't want Vernon to see what he was thinking.
At minute 17, the figure removed his face covering.
And yes—there he was.
Luzen.
He stared at a worn photograph, carefully placed beneath the ruins and ash.
What were Luzen and his team searching for?
Luca had scoured every corner of the mansion years ago. Nothing remained but soot and bones of history.
The mansion still stood, but its insides were dead.
Luca paused the video and looked at Vernon.
"Is this the first time your people saw anyone come there?"
"No. Suspicious groups have shown up twice before. As you know, the 10th year was the branch family of Smith. The 11th year, the Northern branch.
Strangely, they all came on the same date—the anniversary of the massacre.
And last night was exactly 17 years since the Romanov family vanished. Did you forget, Luca?"
Thud.
Luca's heart stopped.
Painful memories he had tried to bury deep in the pit of his soul clawed back to the surface.
He fell silent.
Fragments of those days—fire, screams, blood—floated like fading ghosts.
Even his twin brother's handsome face had become blurry.
His chest ached, though his eyes remained dry.
He was too exhausted to cry anymore.
Luca let out a bitter smile.
"If I could forget, I wouldn't be who I am now. I wouldn't be trapped here with you, tied to men outside like some pathetic ornament. Do you think being someone's kept man is fun?"
He didn't know why those words slipped out.
Maybe it was Luzen's teasing from that morning. It had struck something inside him, something fragile.
Pathetic, maybe—but what choice did he have?
Only by seducing his targets, by becoming their perfect bed companion, would their guard drop.
Only then could he uncover the truth.
That sacrifice was nothing compared to his lifelong regret.
"Luca, that was your decision," Vernon scoffed. "When we first met, I offered to help you. You refused. You said everyone involved—you would eliminate them yourself."
"Hey, are you mocking me? Aren't you benefitting too? You get every classified file I steal from them. Who knows how much money you've made? You should be thanking me!"
He grumbled, though his expression had brightened.
That was Vernon's way of comforting—mockery.
"So, what will you do about Luzen? Do you think he's involved like the last two? Should we take him out before it's too late?"
"No. Don't act rashly. I need to confirm something. I don't understand why he was there last night. But my gut says there's something else at play."
"Tch. Gut feeling—or are you doubting your emotions? You don't look like a hunter anymore, Luca. You've fallen."