Chapter: 1524

Norah, standing unmoved, watched the carnage unfold with a chilling indifference. They should have perished back during the explosion at the base. That they had survived for these few extra years alongside Adair was already enough.

"Rose, don't..."

The gunshot echoed through the room, drowning out Adair's final, desperate plea.

His body jerked, then slumped back against the bed, the light in his eyes slowly fading as his life ebbed away.

Silence fell over the room like a shroud.

When Norah finally came back to herself, the room was eerily quiet.

Her mind cleared, and she realized she was now alone. She looked up and met Adair's glassy, lifeless stare. She took a slow, deliberate breath and stepped forward. As she crouched beside him, her expression was unreadable. Her fingers, cold and steady, reached for his eyelids, gently closing them.

After one last look at Adair, Norah turned on her heel and left the room without a second thought, her footsteps soft against the cold floor.

Outside, the cool night air greeted her, and there on the balcony, Sean stood waiting. He leaned casually against the railing, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers. His gaze was distant, but when he heard the sound of the door behind him, he stubbed out the cigarette and straightened.

He smiled. "I saw there was a lot on your mind, so I didn't disturb you. I will assign someone to handle things inside. You ready to go?"

"Yes." Norah gave a small nod, her body finally relaxing as the tension bled away.

The Dark Night, the shadow that had haunted her for the first half of her life, had finally vanished completely from her world.

For the first time in years, she felt the tension in her chest ease, the relentless pressure lifting from her heart. A small, unfamiliar sense of peace began to take root. She felt completely relaxed.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions," Norah murmured after a moment, her voice softer now. "But I haven't figured out how to explain them all yet."

"It's okay, honey. I told you before, I'll be a listener whenever you're ready to tell me."

Their hands remained clasped, a silent promise between them, and as they looked at each other, they both smiled.

After dealing with Adair and his men, Norah wasted no time in sharing the good news with Alice.

Alice's response came quickly. "I knew you guys wouldn't let me down. Now I can finally focus on recovering."

A small smile played on Norah's lips as she read the message, rolling on the bed. It felt good to rely on Sean occasionally.

It seemed she liked Sean a little more now.

Meanwhile, in the room next door, Sean initiated a secure video call using the special encrypted software. It didn't take long for the four Deacons to join the meeting.

T, the first to speak, asked, “Why is there another meeting? What's up?"

K echoed, "Is there a new mission for us?"

J said, “No way. I bet this is about his girlfriend."