PROJECT CHROME: CONCEALED IDENTITY

C H A P T E R O2

Unspoken Warnings

"You're really not going to stop her from leaving?"

Troy leaned casually against the filing cabinet in Homer's office, arms crossed, eyes sharp. It had been a while since he last visited his old friend, and the silence in the room felt heavier than usual.

Homer shot him a cold look. "I have no right to stop Zoien. Besides, it was the Sanctum who requested her."

He rose from his chair and walked toward the wide glass window that overlooked the city of Florence. Night had fallen. The skyline shimmered with scattered lights, and above them, stars blinked faintly in the dark sky.

"She's your daughter, Homer. Even if only by contract. You have every right to protect her. You care about her—don't deny it. Once she sets foot back there, you won't be able to control what happens. Especially not with our enemies lurking in that territory."

Homer's fists clenched at his sides. He turned to face Troy, his expression unreadable, but his eyes betrayed the storm within. Everything Troy said was true. And it stung.

A bitter smile tugged at Homer's lips. Yes, the Philippines was enemy ground. Letting Zoien go there was dangerous.

But what did his father really want? Why Zoien? Why now? Why send her to the one place Homer had vowed never to return to?

He had so many questions, but Don Sevastian Mondragon had offered no answers—only a request to "borrow" his best agent. And that agent... was Zoien. The youngest S-class operative in the agency's history.

Fate had a cruel sense of irony. Homer had spent years avoiding the country he once called home. Now, his daughter was walking straight into it.

And he couldn't stop her.

He wouldn't let personal feelings interfere with duty. He couldn't.

Yes, he was worried. But more than that—he trusted her. He had trained her himself. He had raised her well. And he was proud of the woman she had become.

Troy exhaled, shaking his head. His friend was as stubborn as ever. He wasn't trying to argue—he was just concerned. Because he knew the moment Zoien stepped foot in that place, the past they had all tried to bury would begin to resurface.

The darkness they had all run from would come crawling back.

Still... he believed in her.

Zoien is their best agent, after all. She's brave. Resilient. She can handle anything. Troy smirked.

"Fine. You're lucky Ivan and Andrei are already stationed there. If they weren't, I'd drag you back myself—tied up if I had to."

Homer watched as Troy turned to leave. But just as he reached for the door, Homer spoke again.

"You care too much about that child, Troy."

Troy paused, hand resting on the doorknob. A small smile crept onto his face.

"We care about her," he said without turning around. "We love that kid. She may not be my blood, but Zoien's like a daughter to me. And I know you feel the same. So stop pretending you don't care. It doesn't suit you."

With that, he opened the door and stepped out, leaving Homer alone in the silence.

The office felt colder now.

Homer turned back to the window, eyes fixed on the stars above. He heard the soft click of the door closing behind him.

"I won't interfere," he murmured to himself.
"But if he dares lay a hand on what's mine...
I'll make sure he finds his own dead end."