Mira Delaney watched over her coffee, eyes fixed on the steam dissipating into the chilly air. Her jet-black hair flowed down her back like a dark wall covering a face laced with exhaustion.

The aroma of burnt coffee and pastries, which she loved and which should provide some comfort, was suffocating.

This tiny cafe, which was a refuge for the young and recluse today, felt like a cozy prison.

Mira looked at her watch again, 8:40. Alex was late again. He is always late. He had texted her that he would be there at 8. And there she was, forty minutes later and still no show.

Mira's phone lay on the table, the silence accusing and tormenting. She only wanted to get this over with and return to the comfort of her loneliness.

A shiver ran down her spine as the door swung open, admitting a gush of autumn air that carried the distant hum of cars and the faint smell of wet leaves.

Her eyes locked on the scar above her left wrist, a constant reminder of her failures. She didn't look up until the chair across from her scraped against the floor.

Mira's eyes snapped up, her expression as sharp as a razor.

"You are late."

"Sorry, Mira. Traffic."

"Oh, yeah, like the last hundred times you were late too. Traffic is your best victim when you unendingly run late. I am sure you were late for your wedding."

Alex dropped into the chair, his cheerful face drawn with fatigue. His messy brown hair stuck out in every direction, and his bright blue eyes seemed dull, weighed down by the bags underneath.

"I am sorry. But you know how I can be. But today, for real, it was traffic. Traffic was a nightmare."

Mira's gaze lingered on Alex's face before softening.

"Okay. Whatever. What did you have for me?"

Alex groped through his backpack, producing a small package wrapped in brown paper.

"This."

Her eyes narrowed as he looked at the package like it was going to blow any second. Her hands hovered for some seconds before she went for it. She took the package, her fingers tracing the rough texture of the paper.

Alex leaned in, voice lowering.

"You know I have been digging into certain operations, this, well this, this is the real deal. Took me weeks to get my hands on it."

Mira's fingers clasped around the package.

"What is in it?

"This is the double O 7 gift," Alex said, eyes darting around the café. "It contains sensitive information... enough to infiltrate empires. Even you know who's."

Mira's gaze snapped up, her voice barely above whisper.

"How did you get this?"

Alex's face twisted in a wry smile.

"Let's just say I have friends in high and low places. And I had to sweeten the deal with a few... you know, gentlemen favors. You owe me a big apartment in Long Beach."

Her eyes sparkled with gratitude.

"I always owe you."

Alex chucked, his exhaustion temporarily forgotten.

"Just be careful, okay? These are risky waters, and you need to be a shark to survive this." He said as leaned back, his tension easing. "I need coffee. And a lot of it, I mean a whole whale of it."

He signaled the waitress, a petite blonde with a warm smile and a nose ring, who came over. Her name tag read "Lily."

"Welcome to Joe's Cafe. What can I get for you tonight?"

"Coffee, black, and a slice of apple pie, please." Alex said. "And my friend will have...?"

Mira shook her head, her eyes still fixed on the package.

Lily's gaze lingered on Mira's intense expression before she hustled off to place the order, her heels clicking on the worn floor.

Alex watched Lily go, then turned to Mira.

"You know, I've been thinking...is this all worth it?"

Mira's head snapped up, her eyes flashing with anger.

"Worth it?" Her voice was low and venomous.

Memories flooded Mira's mind, threatening to consume her.

Her father's once strong voice, now laced with despair. The sound of shattering glass, the smell of smoke. Her mother's tears.

The night her world crumbled.

The night he never came back.

The night he walked into the fire

Mira grip on the package tightened as Alex's voice cut through the haze.

"Mira, I..."

"No, Alex." Her words spilled out in a rush. "You don't know what I am feeling. So don't pretend that you do. You don't know what it feels like to lose everything."

Alex's eyes narrowed, concerned criss crossing his face.

"Ouch. That hurt."

Lily returned with Alex's coffee and pie, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"Uh, can I get you guys anything else?"

Alex shook his head, his gaze focused on Mira.

Mira's chest heaved, her eyes blazing with determination.

"This package is just the beginning. Until I make them pay, I won't back down."

The air was thick with tension as Lily disappeared in a hasty retreat.

Alex's voice was soft.

"Mira, I'm with you, but at what cost?"

"I'll pay any price."

The café's background noise, the clinking of cups and muted laughter, and the soft hum of conversation created a comforting scene.

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee raided through the air, tantalising the evening. All of these should sooth her, but somehow, she was burning with rage.

"Think about this, Mira. You're playing with fire. Kade Valenti won't hesitate to destroy anyone who threatens his empire."

Mira's jaw clenched, her eyes flashing with determination.

"I've come too far to back down now."

Alex sighed.

He'd met Mira three years ago, fresh from the disaster that befell her family.

Her father was once a respected businessman before he was ruined by Valenti's ruthlessness.

Valenti's and his company sabotaged her father's business deals, bribing officials, spreading rumors, and the likes to silence him.

The end came when gangsters attacked her family's warehouses, causing great loss and eventually her father's bankruptcy.

The loss gave her father no choice but to take his own life. He shot himself in the head with a 25.

This had left her with a burning desire for justice. Alex, then a bubbling journalist, was investigating Valenti's shady businesses, and Mira's first-hand knowledge had been priceless.

"Can you remember when we first started digging, Mira?" Alex said, his voice heavy with concern. "You were careful, calculative. Now... now you're reckless and jumpy."

Mira's gaze drifted away, her thoughts consumed by pains from the past. Her father's shattered dreams, her mother's tears, the sound of shattering glass still echoed in her mind.

"I've tried everything, Alex," Mira said, her breaking above a whisper. "Every door has led to a brick wall. If this package might be the key to cracking this case, I am willing to take the risk."

Alex's eyes narrowed. 

"What about the Terry testaments? The documents you uncovered last year?"

"Useless. Valenti's lawyers tore all of that apart like paper. I need..." She clicks her teeth. "Concrete evidence, Alex, Something that'll destroy him for good."

Alex looked at the package once more ...with the secrets it held. Was it worth risking Mira's life?

"Mira, listen to me," Alex started. "We can find another way. We can..."

"No, Alex." Mira's voice was cold as ice. "I've come too far to turn back now. Kade Valenti destroyed my family. I will do everything to destroy him."

The café's background noise zipped into silence as Alex realised the depth of Mira's will. He couldn't change her mind, not for a million dollars.

"Okay," Alex said finally, sounding defeated. "What's the plan?"

Mira's gaze locked onto Alex's, her voice low.

"This isn't just about helping me, you know?"

Alex's expression flattened out.

"You know why I'm in for this," he said, his voice cold.

There is a fragment of understanding in her voice.

"Emma's legacy weighs heavily on you, I know. We can't let her down, too."

Alex's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing with pain as he tried to repress a memory.

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Eight years ago.

Emma Taylor, a fearless investigative journalist and her half-sister, had been probing Valenti's empire.

Her articles put a spotlight on the dark ongoings of his business dealings, revealing a whole lot of vice.

Alex had been protective of Emma. Although he admired her resolve and conviction, he always worried about the risks surrounding this endeavor.

One night, Emma's tailed a van back to a small warehouse on the outskirts of town. She called Alex at once, her voice shaking with excitement and fear.

"Alex, Alex, I've found something, and it is big. Alex, are you there? It's big, I have proof, I have proof of Valenti's operations, all of it."

"Emma, can you hear me? Get out of there, now! I mean it, get out of there!"

"I will be fine, Alex. I just need to take..."

The line went dead.

Alex was scared, his heart racing. Only when the call cut did he realise Emma had sent him the address of the warehouse prior. He rushed there and found Emma, battered and bruised, surrounded by the police and paramedics.

Valenti goons had assaulted Emma and planted a doctored video showing Emma had explosives. They accused her of assisting terrorism.

The prosecution used this made up evidence to convict Emma of terrorism. The trial was all tailored. All of it was a sham. Emma was sentenced to life in a maximum security prison.

Alex's world had crumbled. From that moment, he had made a vow to take down the Valentis and clear Emma's name.

Years passed, and Alex's desire never faded. He gathered evidence, built alliances, and searched for all the smoke leaks in Valenti's big corrupt machine.

Mira's quest for justice matches Alex's resolve. That's why they are doing this. Together, they will bring Valenti's empire crashing down.

Everyday Emma's words ring in Alex's mind.

"Don't give up, Alex. Get them."

That is where Alex is coming from. His drive is fueled by this very desire.

Mira took a sip of her coffee.

"I know what Valenti's capable of. Don't you worry, Alex, I will be my very calculative self. As you already know, we need concrete evidence to bring him down. Anything less than that, and we are simply catching at straws." 

Alex nodded.

"I've been searching for years. Emma's research was close, but..."

"Her notes," Mira interrupted. "Do you still have them?"

Alex hesitated before pulling out a worn notebook from his pocket. Emma's handwriting filled the pages, cryptic notes, and codes.

"That is good. I would need everything I can. Now, it's time we risked everything.. It's time to put myself on the line."

"Okay. I will always have eyes on you. But Mira, can you make me a promise?"

"What is that,"

"Promise me you will pull out at once if you are compromised. I lost my sister to this monster, I am not prepared to lose you too."

"I have told you several times, and I am going to tell you again, this is my choice. I know you have your sister's case and all, but this is for me. I will not back down 'till I finish this."

"I know one thing, you are very stubborn. Sometimes, too stubborn. It is what I liked and hated about you. It's a bittersweet relationship. But when you overdo it, you remind me a lot of Emma. And I don't want that."

"I understand. But I am not your sister. I am not Emma. I won't end up like her. In fact, I would be the one to break her out. I made a promise to you, and I intend to keep all my promises."

She reached out and took her hand.

Her warm hands contrasted his cold ones, but they gave him all the assurance he wished for.

She reached out for the package as if to tear it out and see what was inside. But he caught her hand in time.

"Ah, ah, not here. This is his town, remember. He has eyes and ears everywhere. Come, let's go, I will drive you."