the hum of the air conditioning units that filled the room oddly soothing. It was late, the city outside New York's windows shimmering with life, but inside his business, everything felt still. It

spent the last six years trying to bury his past. The man staring back at him didn't look like he was in his forties. At 41, he should have had the deep lines of age starting to settle in, the slow wear of time, bu

at should have killed him. There were so many things about his time in the field that didn't add up, especially two cases that he couldn't explain. How he'd walked away from explosions that should have torn him apart, a

ought a lot of uncomfortable questions from the superiors and the white coat who were fascinated by his healing factor. The note that he was different from the man who had gone into that hellscape-a man who looked untouched by time and death. In truth, his b

y. It had been easier to start fresh, to bury his past in the simplicity of an HVAC business than t

co was a constant. The scarring physical evidence of his survival was clear, but the years had yet to catch up with him. He had become an expert at hiding the tru

llen, an aspirant for the governor election. She's seen her po

houghts. His eyes narrowed. This is an ea

------------------

erlook in any room. She has long, black hair that cascades smoothly down her back, a feature that pays homage to her Persian heritage, even though her family has been firmly root

e was in track before the tragedy-the loss of her husband eight years ago-a devastating event that transformed her grief into a driving force for chang

are evident in her work and her speeches, resonating with a message of integrity, resilience, and hope. She is both

is clear before opening the door for her. She put on a nose mask and big shades, someone might recogni

other thriving small business: a clean office, a modest logo on the door, and workers in uniform busy with their tasks. She felt out of place in her tailored blazer and heels, standing amid the industrial hum of machinery and vans with ladders strapped to their roofs. Yet, here she was, about to meet the man who had saved her life on the train a week earlier. A coup

ith a clipboard in hand, notice

" she said, speaking through her

ioning toward the workshop area. He sneaks a few seconds look at her behind a

come in. The office was completely different from the workshop area. Simply decorated with a good color combination, it has a woman's touch. He was already standing as she entered, tall and broad-shouldered, wearing a

nes," she greeted. The

he was dressed in a sharp black jacket, her black hair tucked neatly behin

for a firm handshake. He looked like a proper businessman and carried himself like one. H

fused kindly. They sat on the

ped them. The police were asking about how they were killed and who killed them, but no one knew much. Both the CCTV and WiFi were dis

fy those things? They did turned back to human so maybe they find anything about them" he did not b

ne. "I don't know much about that, but I

o video proof that those things turned int

about the people

job. Besides, I'm here for a differe

was not playing around either. He

handled those attackers like a professional.

o this is not just a simple case of rivalry." He

nything here; we ha

mean?" His voice tak

"Look, I believe we could work well together. C

'll free up some time. Just for you." He was flirting. He w

around. "You seem to be doing well.

e said with a shrug

e wouldn't be easily co

successful career. You have everything going well for you. You are single, I beli

ed firmly. "And in my position, I have to be careful about my public image. By the way, that's not the r

little bit of b

n discuss the benefits." Beth tried again, pulling a

at line of work. Besides," he gestured toward the bustling workshop, "I

rofessional nod. "God. What a flirt. Anyway, I'll set the ti

nse against men's banter and flirting, but he manages to get to her. Maybe when all t