Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime-Chapter 105: Her Safety

[147 Days Left to Live]

Reynold Draven sat behind his desk, the soft blue glow of multiple monitors painting his tired face in a cold light. The reports he had poured over for hours blurred together, lines of data and maps no longer sharp in his mind.

He leaned back, pinched the bridge of his nose, and let out a sigh that carried the weight of exhaustion and frustration. It had been days since the failed attempt to capture Barmon Diamond at the Diamond Hotel. And since then, Reynold hadn’t allowed himself a proper break.

He had thrown every resource he had into tracking Barmon down: local informants, satellite imaging, cross-agency collaboration. But nothing. Not a trace. Barmon had vanished like smoke.

Reynold stared at the map pinned to his wall, dozens of red pins marking possible sightings and abandoned safehouses. His jaw tightened. None of them led to anything substantial.

If only he knew that his brother-in-law Kendrick actually knew where Barmon was and had been closely monitoring him all along.

A knock sounded at the door of his small office, but he didn’t answer. He was too lost in thought.

The memory of an old mission resurfaced. Something from four years ago, back when he was just a grunt, a low-level officer with no real authority. Their chief had dispatched their unit to a remote warehouse, acting on a tip about a major smuggling deal going down. They were told it was weapons, maybe drugs. Nothing too extraordinary.

But when they arrived, the scene was anything but ordinary.

Bodies lay scattered across the concrete floor, lifeless and twisted in positions that didn’t seem natural. The men’s muscles were abnormally large, their skin showing strange bulges and ruptures. And their faces... contorted in pain and horror, as though their insides had exploded. There were scorch marks on the walls, bullet holes, and the metallic smell of blood mixed with smoke.

It was a battlefield, but oddly one-sided. All the victims were from the same group, Barmon’s men.

Clearly, they were unaware of the Archive’s existence—and of the Erasers, who had wiped out any trace of the nulls who died during the fight.

Reynold and his men moved cautiously through the place until they found him. Barmon Diamond, unconscious, slumped against a pillar, bleeding heavily from shrapnel wounds. His suit was torn, and his face covered in grime. It looked like a bomb had gone off nearby and he had barely made it out alive. free𝑤ebnovel.com

Reynold remembered how strange it all felt. Who had fought those men? Who was capable of leaving such destruction behind without leaving a single trace? At the time, no one could give him a straight answer. The official report pinned the incident on a rival gang attack gone wrong.

But now, it all clicked.

"They used it," he muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing.

Project Helix. The prototype enhancement drug he had only recently heard rumors about, and how it seemed connected to what happened twelve years ago. If those men had taken an unfinished version of it, that would explain the grotesque effects on their bodies, like exploding organs and unstable muscular growth.

But Barmon had survived.

That meant he had a closer link to Project Helix than anyone had realized. Maybe he hadn’t taken the drug himself, but he was connected. That much Reynold was sure of now.

He slammed his palm against the desk in frustration. Pens scattered across the surface. The loud sound echoed through the room.

"Damn it," he whispered, voice low and tight.

He leaned forward, burying his face in his hands. Everything led back to Barmon. And somehow, his sister was always nearby when things got messy.

Zephany.

She had been at the Diamond Hotel that day. Assigned to cover the event as a journalist, yes, but still too close for comfort. Why was it always like this? Just when he thought he could distance her from this kind of danger, something dragged her back in. And now, she was working on articles about the Diamond family.

His heart ached.

She didn’t know what she was walking into. Or maybe she did, but she wouldn’t back down. Zephany was brave, and sometimes that bravery looked too much like recklessness.

He sighed again and reached for his phone.

Maybe it was time to ask Kendrick.

They were under the same roof now, brought together by Cassius’s arrangements. Kendrick had married his sister, Zephany. Reynold had no choice in the matter. Even though Zephany had an enhanced body and was skilled in combat, she still needed someone to look out for her.

He hated to admit it, but there was a certain relief in knowing Kendrick was close. After all, Kendrick was a martial arts champion. He could fight, and more importantly, he could help protect Zephany.

He scrolled through his contacts and stopped at Kendrick’s name.

"Hey," he typed. "It’s about Zeph. Just want to make sure someone’s looking out for her when I’m not around."

He hesitated before sending it. Would Kendrick find that strange? Maybe. But Reynold didn’t care. This was about Zephany. About her safety. He sent the message.

He leaned back in his chair again. If he couldn’t be with his sister all the time, the least he could do was make sure someone capable was there when it mattered.

But the thought of it still didn’t sit right.

He stared at the ceiling, then back to the chaotic reports in front of him.

He had to find Barmon. That was the only way to protect Zephany. Barmon was at the heart of everything—Project Helix, the smuggling, the mysterious attacks. And Reynold knew that until he was captured, Zephany would never truly be safe.

He glanced at the photo frame on his desk. It was old, taken when they were still kids. Zephany stood between him and their parents, her wide grin lighting up the image. Their parents were long gone now. He was all she had left.

"I’ll stop him, Zeph," he whispered. "I promise."

His phone buzzed. A new message.

It was from Kendrick.

"Anytime. Just say the word. I’ll keep an eye on her."

Reynold felt the smallest bit of tension leave his shoulders.

At least for now, he wasn’t alone.

But Barmon was still out there. And the next time they crossed paths, Reynold intended to end it.

He turned back to his screen, opened a new search protocol, and began typing rapidly.

He wouldn’t stop. Not until the trail led him straight to Barmon Diamond.

Though honestly, he could just ask Kendrick about it. But he was keeping that information from everyone except his own men.