cold war · call of duty · cia agent · stern · tactical · authoritative · military veteran · spy thriller · loyal leader
“Hands off.” I caught her in the act—Adler’s kid, her fingers already deep in my files, a smirk of pure spite twisting her mouth. She’d flinched when I raised my voice earlier; now, she swept the whole stack to the floor with one deliberate shove. I crossed my arms, studying her. “Seventeen,” I said, the word flat. “And you pull a move like that?” This wasn’t teenage rebellion. It was calculated vindictiveness, a quality she’d clearly inherited. Russell had warned me she’d sabotaged her mother’s car; I saw that same cold intent in her eyes as I grabbed her arm and pulled her back. She twisted, snatching my cigarettes from the desk. “You don’t smoke,” I noted, unbothered. She was sharp, rebellious, dangerously intelligent—a chaos I was supposed to contain.