Chapter 187: A Familiar Face, A False Story

Kane woke to sunlight streaming through Cyrus’s bedroom windows, his body deliciously sore from their training room adventures.

The dragon’s arm was wrapped possessively around his waist, but Kane could tell by Cyrus’s breathing that he was already awake.

"Morning," Kane mumbled into the pillow, his nine tails sprawled across the silk sheets.

"Ready for work?" Cyrus asked, pressing a kiss to Kane’s shoulder.

An hour later, they were dressed and heading downstairs to the garage. Cyrus chose the BMW this time, claiming it was "more professional" than the Lamborghini.

The drive to BSA headquarters was comfortable, filled with Kane’s chatter about the dragon egg and Cyrus’s quiet responses. When they pulled into the Bureau parking lot, Kane’s jaw dropped.

"Holy shit, is that Ginsei’s new car?"

A midnight blue Dodge Viper sat gleaming in the morning sun, carbon fiber accents catching the light. The serpent spirit stood beside it, looking smugly satisfied as he polished an already spotless side mirror.

"Looks like someone kept his promise," Kane said, shooting Cyrus an impressed look.

Cyrus’s lips curved into the faintest smile as Ginsei noticed them and straightened, clearly waiting for acknowledgment of his new acquisition.

He pulled up to the BSA entrance but didn’t immediately unlock the doors. He turned to Kane, his red eyes serious.

"Stay inside the building. Don’t go anywhere alone, and text me if anything happens."

Kane raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you’re dropping off a kindergartener."

"Elias is still out there," Cyrus said quietly. "And you’re still adjusting to your enhanced abilities. I don’t want—"

Kane leaned over and kissed him, cutting off the lecture. "I’ll be careful."

Cyrus’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

Kane grabbed his phone and turned toward the backseat, where the dragon egg sat in its protective case. "Bye, little one. Be good for dragon daddy while I’m at work."

"Kane."

"What? You’re totally going to hover over that egg all day."

Cyrus’s ears actually turned pink. "I am not going to—"

"You absolutely are." Kane grinned, opening the car door. "I’ll see you at five."

"Five sharp," Cyrus confirmed. "We’ll go to that Italian place you mentioned."

Kane’s smile widened. "The one with the truffle pasta?"

"If that’s what you want."

Kane stepped out, then leaned down to the window. "Pick somewhere with reasonable portions this time. I want to actually enjoy my food."

"Noted." Cyrus’s expression softened. "Be safe."

"You too, dragon daddy."

Cyrus groaned as Kane walked away, but Kane caught his reflection in the glass doors—the man was definitely smiling.

Ginsei looked up from his Viper as Kane approached. "Dragon daddy?"

"Shut up and show me your new toy."

"Direct as always," Ginsei said, running his hand along the Viper’s sleek hood. "Come see what your dragon bought me."

Kane circled the car, whistling low. The midnight blue paint job was flawless, and the carbon fiber details gleamed like obsidian. "Damn, Ginsei. This is exactly what you wanted, isn’t it?"

"Down to the last detail." Ginsei’s usual cool composure cracked, revealing genuine excitement. "V10 engine, manual transmission, track package. I’ve been dreaming about this car for three years."

"It suits you," Kane said, admiring the aggressive lines. "Sleek, fast, and probably deadly in the wrong hands."

"To some degree, I owe this to you." Ginsei opened the driver’s door, the leather interior pristine. "Your little rescue mission brought us together."

Kane shrugged. "Cyrus would’ve found another way to get what he needed."

"Speaking of which," Ginsei closed the door and leaned against the hood, "why hasn’t he bought you a car? Seems like the type to spoil his mate."

Kane’s cheeks flushed. "I can’t drive."

Ginsei’s eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"I never passed the BSA human driving module," Kane mumbled, suddenly fascinated by his shoes.

"Oh." Ginsei’s expression shifted from confusion to barely contained amusement. "Oh, that’s right. How many times did you fail again?"

"Seven."

"Seven times." Ginsei’s grin was positively wicked now. "Wasn’t one of them because you shifted mid-exam and your tail got caught in the steering wheel?"

"The instructor startled me!" Kane protested.

"All seven times?"

Kane flipped him off. "I’m going inside before you get any more insufferable."

Ginsei chuckled, clearly enjoying himself.

Just as Kane was about to push through the BSA’s glass doors, the distinctive rumble of a motorcycle engine caught his attention.

Both he and Ginsei turned toward the parking lot entrance, where a familiar black Kawasaki was pulling in.

The rider dismounted gracefully, pulling off a sleek helmet to reveal Rina’s distinctive black hair.

"Rina?" Kane called out, jogging toward her with Ginsei close behind.

She turned at the sound of her name, and Kane was struck by how healthy she looked.

"Kane! Ginsei!" Her face lit up with genuine warmth as she secured her helmet to the bike’s handlebars.

Ginsei approached more cautiously, his usual composed mask slipping to reveal concern.

"Rina, where have you been? You haven’t answered any of my messages."

Rina’s expression shifted, a mix of sheepishness and exasperation crossing her features.

"I went on an impromptu vacation. My parents were driving me absolutely insane about getting married."

She gestured dramatically with her hands.

"You know how they get—constantly setting me up with ’nice young men’ from the community. I needed to disappear for a while before I committed homicide."

Ginsei’s eyes narrowed slightly, his analytical mind clearly processing her explanation. "An impromptu vacation? Without telling anyone?" ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Sometimes you have to go radio silent to maintain your sanity," Rina said with a shrug that seemed entirely too casual.

"I drove up to the mountains and stayed in some tiny cabin with no cell service. It was blissful."

Kane watched the exchange, knowing exactly where Rina had actually been—hooked up to medical equipment in Veyr Corp’s sterile containment ward, fighting for her life as synthetic compounds tore her spirit apart.

But this story? This sounded exactly like something Rina would do.

"Your parents really were getting aggressive about the marriage thing," Kane said, backing up her cover.

"Remember last time when your mom ambushed you with that accountant at the grocery store?"

Rina’s grateful look was quick but unmistakable.

"Exactly! And just last month, my dad invited his colleague’s son to a ’casual’ dinner without warning me."

Ginsei’s posture relaxed slightly, though wariness remained in his pale eyes.

"I’m just glad you’re back safe. We’ve had some unusual cases recently, and Commander Qi was asking about your whereabouts."

"Well, I’m refreshed and ready to get back to work," Rina said brightly.