I lifted my gaze, voice steady despite the pressure clawing at my chest.
"But let me ask you first—before I tell you my condition," I said, locking eyes with the Director. "What exactly is your goal?"
A tense pause.
"Be honest."
Then the Director replied, his voice firm yet composed, "Like I said—we have the same goal. To eliminate VARAK, as much as possible."
He paused, scanning each of us before continuing, "Why? Because VARAK is no longer just a criminal organization. It has infiltrated governments, law enforcement, corporations… even humanitarian fronts. They've become a global parasite, feeding on chaos, fear, and silence."
He leaned forward, eyes sharp. "We've lost agents. Families. Entire divisions. But this isn't just about revenge—it's about saving what's left of the world before they turn it into their playground."
The silence that followed felt heavier than before.
Then he added, his voice dropping to a more serious tone, "VARAK is hiring every mafia under the sun. They've unified the criminal world under one man—and that man is untouchable. No government, no army, no force has managed to break through."
He glanced at the agents behind him, then looked directly at me—no, at my belly.
"That's why we need you. You carry his child," he said calmly, as if he'd just laid down a royal flush on the table.
The room went cold. My breath hitched. All of LUMENN stood still.
Then he continued, "My Deputy Director here told me you're only pretending to be Laurence's wife. Or rather… Xavier's."
I could feel Xavier freeze beside me, a breath caught in his throat. All eyes again turned toward us. My stomach twisted—not from the baby, but from the weight of the truth hanging in the air.
"Callista Evangeline Moreau..." the director said slowly, his voice carrying an unsettling calm. Then he corrected himself, "Or rather—Callista Evangeline Valemont. You're still engaged to Aurelius Valemont, aren't you?"
His eyes pierced straight through me, as if he could read everything I was hiding.
"That's why we need you," he said firmly. "I could say we must use you, but the truth is—we also need your people. LUMENN."
The room was silent again, tension crackling like electricity in the air. My chest tightened as I inhaled deeply, suppressing the storm brewing in my mind.
I met his gaze with steady eyes. "But what exactly is your real goal?" I asked. My voice didn't shake, but my heart did. "You say you want to eliminate VARAK, but I need to know if that's all—or if we're being pulled into another power struggle, another system of control wearing a different face."
For a moment, the director didn't speak.
Then he said, slower this time, "We're not here to replace VARAK with another monster. My goal—our goal—is to dismantle the criminal web they've built, piece by piece, before the world collapses into lawless ruin. VARAK doesn't just threaten governments... they rewrite the rules of power. If they succeed, everyone answers to them—including people like you, Callista. Including your child."
At that moment, I felt everyone behind me shift—Felix, Mia, Zack, and even Xavier. Their eyes were all on me, waiting.
Waiting for my verdict.
Then, unexpectedly, Mia—now revealed as the Deputy Director and one of LUMENN's finest—stepped forward, her voice clear and authoritative.
"We suggest that you go to VARAK's lair," she said, eyes locked with mine.
I blinked. "Alone?" My voice came out quieter than I intended, yet sharp enough to slice through the silence in the room.
She nodded. "Yes. Alone."
Murmurs rose from both sides—LUMENN agents stirred uncomfortably, and even the DTY officers exchanged glances. Felix's brows furrowed deeply, and Xavier immediately stepped forward, voice tense. "Absolutely not. She's pregnant. That's insane."
But Mia held her ground. "We understand the risks. But you, Callista, are the only one with a direct link to Aurelius Valemont. You're the key. If anyone can get close enough to gather intel—or even persuade him—it's you."
I turned to her, still struggling to breathe under the weight of this madness. "You want me to walk into the lion's den," I muttered. "Pregnant. Unarmed. Alone."
The Director added calmly, "You won't be unarmed. We'll equip you with the best tech and silent support. But you have to understand, Callista—Aurelius is no longer just a man. He's a force. A symbol. You're the only one who can reach the man underneath the crown."
I looked down at my growing belly, a hand instinctively resting there.
The child of LUMENN's fallen leader… and VARAK's new king.
"Fine," I said, voice steady despite the storm brewing inside me. "I'll do it. Even if it means walking into danger alone… I'll do it for my people—and for my child."
The room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop.
"But," I added sharply, meeting the Director's gaze with unwavering resolve, "remember I said I have a condition before I agree to collaborate with DTY?"
The Director raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
I looked around the room—at Felix, Mia, Zack, Xavier, and all the faces of LUMENN who were watching me with concern, hope, and fear. Then I turned back to the man who held power over one of the world's most covert government agencies.
"My condition is simple: full immunity for every single LUMENN member, past and present. No criminal records. No surveillance. No 'loose ends.' We are not your pawns—we're your partners. If you want my trust, then prove to me that you trust us too."
The Director leaned back slowly in his chair, hands steepled under his chin, assessing me. Then, after a long pause…
The Director leaned back slowly in his chair, hands steepled beneath his chin, his sharp eyes never leaving mine. The tension in the room was thick—no one dared speak.
After what felt like forever, he finally spoke.
"Impressive," he said, his voice calm but firm. "You speak like a true leader… and a mother."
He exchanged a glance with Mia, who gave him a small, approving nod.
"Very well, Callista Evangeline Moreau—" he paused, then corrected himself, "—Valemont. You have my word. DTY will grant full immunity to all members of LUMENN. No records, no tracking, no strings."
A collective breath was released in the room. I could see Xavier's shoulders relax slightly, Felix's jaw finally unclench, and Zack blinking in disbelief.
"But in return," the Director continued, "you go to VARAK. Alone. We will provide surveillance, backups, extraction plans, everything—but you're the only one who can get close to him."
He stood, towering over the table, then added with a low voice, "Because he'll never kill the mother of his child."
I stood up slowly too, hand resting on my belly. "You'd be surprised what a man like him is capable of."
"But where exactly is their lair?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
The Director hesitated, his fingers drumming lightly against the table. "We've narrowed it down to three possible locations. Each is heavily guarded, layered with decoys and misdirection. But there's one that keeps coming up, over and over again, through encrypted channels and dead drops."
Mia slid a file across the table toward me. I opened it, scanning quickly. Coordinates. Blueprints. Surveillance photos. One image made my heart stop.
It was Aurelius.
He looked different—colder, harder—but it was him. Standing at the balcony of a black fortress built into a cliffside, surrounded by fog and shadow.
"This," Mia said quietly, "is most likely the heart of VARAK."
I clenched the edge of the folder, my mind racing.
"If I'm going in," I said, voice steady, "then we do this right. I want control over the surveillance team. I want full communication access. And most of all—I decide when to pull the trigger."
The Director nodded, and Mia gave a tight smile.
"Understood," she said. "Then it begins."
"Can I at least bring Xavier along with me?" I asked, my eyes locking with the Director's.
The room went silent.
"He was ordered by Aurelius himself to protect me, even before he surrendered to his father—back when VARAK destroyed LUMENN. Xavier is one of our best agents. He knows how they move. He knows how he thinks."
The Director exchanged a glance with Mia, who gave a subtle nod.
"Very well," he replied. "But if he compromises the mission in any way—"
"He won't," I cut him off, firm and cold. "He's more loyal than anyone I know."
Xavier, who had remained silent the entire time, finally stepped forward. "You don't need to justify me, Callista. I'll go wherever you go."
The Director folded his arms. "Then prepare yourselves. You leave in three days. We'll equip you with everything you need—but once you're inside, it's all on you."
I nodded, hand instinctively resting on my stomach.
"For LUMENN," I whispered.
And the war began.
To be continued...