John didn’t move.

  Sable didn’t either.

  For a moment, the room was silent.

  Then—Malik exhaled.

  "Kid," he muttered, voice tight. "Whatever you’re about to do… don’t."

  John ignored him.

  Because there were only two options now.

  Run. (Not likely. Sable was between him and the only exit.)

  Fight. (Even worse. Sable wasn’t just some street thug—he was one of Cain’s best.)

  Which meant John was in trouble.

  Serious trouble.

  Sable tilted his head slightly, studying him.

  "You’ve been busy," he said.

  John kept his voice neutral. "You’ve been watching."

  "Of course." Sable smiled, slow and deliberate. "You should be flattered. Cain doesn’t keep tabs on just anyone."

  John clenched his jaw. There it was again.

  The same thing Aria had said.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Cain had been watching him for longer than John had realized.

  The question was—why?

  John wasn’t stupid.

  He knew that if Sable was here, it meant Cain already had the answers he was looking for.

  Which meant this wasn’t about Eli’s father anymore.

  This was about John.

  And the worst part?

  John had no idea why.

  So he did the only thing he could.

  He stalled.

  "What do you want?" John asked.

  Sable smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

  "You already know the answer."

  John’s fingers curled. No. No, he didn’t.

  And that was the problem.

  Sable took a slow step forward.

  "You’ve been asking questions, John," he murmured. "Digging in places you shouldn’t be. That’s not a good habit to have."

  John forced himself to stay still.

  "And?" he said.

  Sable’s smirk widened slightly.

  "And it’s time to stop."

  The words hung in the air.

  A threat. A warning.

  A choice.

  John exhaled.

  "Or what?"

  Sable’s expression didn’t change.

  But his next words?

  They chilled John to his core.

  "Or we start looking for the boy again."

  John felt something snap inside him.

  Not anger. Not fear.

  Something colder.

  "Is that how Cain operates?" John asked, voice even. "Taking kids?"

  Sable shrugged. "Cain takes what belongs to him."

  John clenched his fists. Eli wasn’t Cain’s.

  But this?

  This was the real game.

  Cain wasn’t just watching John.

  He was testing him.

  And if John backed down now?

  Eli would pay the price.

  John exhaled slowly.

  Then—he made his choice.

  "You’re wasting your time," he said. "I don’t know anything."

  Sable’s gaze sharpened.

  "You will," he said simply. "And when you do? Cain will be waiting."

  Then—he stepped aside.

  The exit was open.

  John didn’t hesitate.

  He walked past Sable, forcing himself to keep his pace even.

  But inside?

  Inside, he knew.

  This wasn’t over.

  It was only just beginning.