CHAPTER 57: ELIAS KANE’S FILE!

A few hours before Milo reported to Clara...

The matching centre was a fortress of secrets at night, its corridors felt silent under the dim glow of security lights. The clock had just ticked past midnight, and the building was supposed to be empty, save for the occasional night guard patrolling the lower floors.

Milo, clad in a tight black spy outfit, moved like a shadow through the upper-level offices. His heart pounded hard in his chest hoping he won’t get caught, but his steps were silent, his training as Clara’s operative keeping him focused. He’d slipped past the outer security with ease, disabling cameras with a small device tucked in his pocket. Now, he stood in Dr Patel’s office, the faint hum of a computer the only sound breaking the stillness.

Milo’s gloved fingers hovered over the keyboard, his eyes scanning the screen as he bypassed the login with a hacking tool Clara had provided.

’Elias’s file,’ he thought, his jaw tight. ’This better be worth it,’

The screen flickered, revealing a folder labelled "Kane, Elias." He plugged in a flash drive, the transfer bar inching along painfully slowly. He glanced at the door, as he felt someone approaching.

A faint creak echoed from the hallway, and Milo froze, his hand instinctively moving to the small knife strapped to his thigh.

’Someone’s here.’ He crouched behind the desk, his breathing shallow, as the door eased open. A figure stepped inside, also dressed in black, their face obscured by a hood. The stranger moved, heading straight for the computer. Milo’s eyes narrowed.

’Are they after the same thing?’

The stranger leaned over the keyboard, unaware of Milo’s presence, and muttered,

"Come on, where’s the file?" Their voice was low, masculine, with a hint of impatience.

Milo’s body tensed, his mind racing.

’They know about Elias.’

He stood slowly, keeping his movements silent, and spoke.

"You here for Elias Kane’s information?"

The stranger spun around, their posture shifting into a defensive stance. Milo’s question had caught them off guard, and their slight flinch betrayed their intent.

"Who’s asking?" the stranger shot back, their voice muffled by a scarf covering the lower half of their face.

Milo didn’t answer; his eyes were locked on the flash drive, still plugged into the computer. The transfer bar was at 80%.

"I need that drive." He lunged forward, aiming to grab it, but the stranger was faster, sidestepping and throwing a quick jab at Milo’s chest. Milo dodged, his training kicking in, and swung a fist toward the stranger’s jaw. The stranger blocked it with their forearm, the impact sending a jolt through Milo’s arm.

The fight was on, both men moving with precision, careful not to topple the office equipment. Milo grabbed the stranger’s wrist, twisting it to force them back, but the stranger countered, hooking a leg behind Milo’s knee and shoving him toward the desk. Milo caught himself, his hands gripping the edge to avoid knocking over a stack of files.

"You’re good," Milo grunted, ducking under a swift punch. "But I’m not leaving without that drive."

"Funny," the stranger replied, their voice strained as they blocked Milo’s kick. "Neither am I."

They circled each other, the small office feeling claustrophobic as they traded blows. Milo aimed a low kick at the stranger’s shin, but the stranger jumped back, knocking a chair aside with a soft thud.

Both of them froze, listening for any sign of a guard, but the hallway remained silent. Milo seized the moment, diving for the computer, but the stranger grabbed his shoulder, yanking him back. Milo spun, landing a solid punch to the stranger’s ribs, earning a sharp hiss of pain.

The stranger retaliated with a knee to Milo’s stomach, forcing him to stagger back. The transfer bar hit 100%, and the stranger darted to the computer, yanking the flash drive free. Milo lunged, tackling them to the ground, their bodies sliding across the polished floor. They grappled, Milo’s hands clawing for the drive, but the stranger was stronger, pinning Milo’s arm and delivering a sharp elbow to his jaw. Pain exploded across Milo’s face, and his grip faltered.

The stranger scrambled to their feet, pocketing the drive and typing a quick command to lock the computer. Milo staggered up, his vision blurry, and threw a desperate punch, but the stranger sidestepped easily, shoving Milo against the wall. "Stay down," the stranger growled, their voice low and commanding. "You’re out of your league."

Milo slumped, his chest heaving, as the stranger slipped out the door. He stumbled to the computer, his fingers shaking as he tried to unlock it, but the screen flashed an error message: ’Access Denied.’

"Damn it," he muttered, slamming his fist against the desk. He had no choice but to leave, his mission a failure. Clara’s wrath loomed in his mind as he slipped back through the window, disappearing into the night.

.

.

Outside, in a sleek black car parked a block away, Luka Drago pulled off his hood, his dark hair damp with sweat. He slid into the passenger seat, where his brother Viktor sat in the back, his leather-gloved hands folded over a laptop. Luka grinned, holding up the flash drive.

"Got it," he said, giving a thumbs-up.

Viktor’s expression didn’t change, his cold grey eyes fixed on the drive.

"Hand it over," he said, his voice flat.

Luka rolled his eyes but tossed the drive to Viktor, who caught it one-handed. "You could at least say ’good job,’" Luka muttered, leaning back in his seat. "That guy in there was no slouch. Took some work to put him down."

Viktor ignored him, plugging the drive into the laptop. The screen lit up with Elias’s file, and the brothers leaned in, their eyes scanning the data. Luka’s brow furrowed as he read the first line. "Dominant omega? What the hell is that?"

Viktor’s jaw tightened, his gloved fingers scrolling through the file.

"Keep reading," he said, his voice low. They reached the section on Elias’s ability... Siren’s Voice. Luka frowned, confused. "Siren’s Voice? What, like he sings and people fall in love with him? Is he a merman or something?"

Viktor shook his head, his eyes narrowing.

"It’s not singing. It says here it’s an ability to influence people when he speaks, especially when his pheromones are active. Calms them, controls them, whatever." He paused, scrolling further. "And this... he’s been suppressing his pheromones ever since he became an Omega. Never been with an alpha. That’s why he’s struggled with basic tasks."

He blinked repeatedly remembering how weak Elias had always been. He had no idea it was because of this. Not only was he born weak, but also because he had been suppressing his Pheromones.

’How the hell has he been surviving all this while?’