He raised his hand slightly.

"Before you answer that, I want you to know I’m not forcing you. You can leave now and just ignore what I said."

Samantha was stunned.

The option sounded simple.

But it didn’t feel that way.

Because leaving now would mean walking away from information she had already heard. It would mean pretending none of it mattered.

She was being played by him.

"Take your time." Lex wasn’t rushing. He gave space, like he was letting her reach the conclusion on her own.

That made it worse.

Because nothing felt forced.

Samantha frowned slightly. "So what happens to me if I know the truth?"

"You have to carry the burden of knowing it."

That detail stuck more than it should have. Her mind tried to form a full picture, but it only filled the blanks with guesses.

"Alright, tell me."

Lex closed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, his body moved on instinct. He grabbed her and jumped.

Seconds later, the gas station exploded.

BOOOOM!

They were blasted back, their bodies hitting the ground hard from the shockwave. Dust and heat filled the air.

Lex raised his invisible aura at the last second, shielding Samantha completely. She landed hard but was uninjured.

Lex wasn’t as lucky.

The force hit him before the barrier fully stabilized. Burn marks spread across his side as he gritted his teeth.

"Lieutenant, you’re hurt!" Samantha gasped, her voice shaking.

"I’m fine, but we need to get out of here." Lex grabbed her hand and pulled her forward. They ran toward a van parked nearby.

’I need to get ready and readjust my plan just in case.’

"Get inside." He shoved Samantha inside first, then slid in after her. His hand hit the dashboard and the engine came alive with a rough growl.

Behind them, the fire from the gas station spread fast. Black smoke rose into the sky.

WHEEERRR.

A second vehicle burst out from a side road. Dark, unmarked, moving fast.

Samantha stiffened. "They’re following us!"

Lex didn’t look surprised. He turned the wheel hard and pulled the van onto the main road.

The van sped up the ramp, tires shaking against the road.

Then the sky changed.

A deep rotor sound rolled in from above.

Samantha looked up first.

Her face went pale. "Helicopters..."

Lex’s eyes flicked to the rearview mirror.

Dark shapes moved in the sky, cutting through the smoke trail behind them. One. Then three. Then more.

They were locked in.

While this was happening, Francis couldn’t help but feel annoyed. He had made a mistake in assuming that the Director and Lex were working together.

’That cunning old man planned to sacrifice them both,’ he thought. ’Samantha being here will drag her father into it too. This is all a political maneuver.’

His mind continued to process the new information.

’If that’s the case, then both of them are bound to die. They can’t afford to live and risk speaking about this to the public.’

’Wait. This could actually go in my favor. If both of them died, then I would get access to the livers of two Special Categories. She might not be strong physically, but her ability, according to what I’ve gathered so far, is very unique.’

Francis’s annoyance slowly faded, replaced by a faint sense of anticipation.

For once, fate seemed to be giving him assistance.

BOOOM!

Another explosion echoed through the air.

Lex grabbed Samantha and carried her out of the van just before it exploded.

They slammed onto the road and rolled across the rough pavement before forcing themselves back to their feet.

"GO!" Lex shoved her forward, urging her to run while he swung his spear.

ZZZZZZ!

A blue beam of light burst from the weapon and shot into the sky, but it missed the helicopters.

It was intentional. He only meant to scare them away, and it worked.

SWOOSH!

In no time, he caught up to Samantha and lifted her into his arms. He jumped from one obstacle to the next, clearing barriers and vehicles in quick succession.

Unlike before, it was broad daylight. There was no darkness to hide them, which made escaping much harder.

The perimeter was pre-established; they had been lured into a kill zone.

By this point, Lex had already figured out they had been double-crossed. Only the Director knew about this location.

"Damn it." he cursed under his breath.

Guilt crept in as the realization settled. He had been fooled, and worse, he had dragged an innocent person into it.

He should have been suspicious when George told him to seduce her, using her connection to lobby the government.

"I won’t let you get hurt, no matter what!"

His rage surged to its peak. The air around him grew heavier as killing intent leaked out without restraint.

Samantha felt it immediately.

Gone was the calm man from the gas station. In his place stood someone broken by betrayal, a man used again and again, only to be discarded in the end.

"Surrender now!"

Before the words even settled, a figure dropped from the sky like a falling blade.

Lex’s instincts reacted first.

He jumped back at the last possible instant—

SLASH!

The ground where he stood tore open. Concrete split apart as the impact burst outward in a cloud of dust and shattered stone.

Lex landed several meters away, boots scraping hard against the pavement as he steadied himself.

For a brief second, everything was hidden in smoke.

Then the dust began to clear.

A figure stood at the center.

Harry.

Fully armored. Sword in hand. The blade still vibrated softly, humming from the force of the strike.

Lex barely had time to focus before the air around them shifted again.

More presences arrived.

One after another, figures dropped from above, landing with controlled force.

The rest of the Four Horsemen spread out without a word, each one taking position like they had done this countless times before.

Then came the final layer.

Twenty soldiers in black combat suits poured out and formed a tight perimeter.

The FEDERATION logo caught the light as they moved into position.

Advanced rifles clicked into place almost in perfect sync.

Red targeting dots flickered across the scene.

They locked onto Lex.

Then Samantha.

"You two are under arrest. If you resist, we will be forced to use deadly force," Harry declared.

"Bullshit. You already planned to kill us from the start when you bombed the gas station. Tell me, is the Director behind this? Or is he just working for the opposition party that wants to destroy Erick Liner’s reputation?"

At the mention of her father’s name, Samantha looked visibly shaken.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

Lex sighed.

"They will kill us here. Then they’ll paint me as a terrorist, and you as my accomplice in all of this."

Samantha’s expression slowly collapsed. She turned her eyes to Harry’s group.

"Is this true?"

Harry’s lips curled into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

"I’m sorry, Miss Samantha. But this is a necessary sacrifice. You and him were simply the pawns chosen by the real players who run this country."