The Next Day
The faint morning light seeped through the grimy window of the room, casting soft shadows on the walls. Annalisa sat on the edge of the bed, her mind tangled in the events of the previous night. The man Serena had been speaking to, the cryptic conversation—it all lingered like a half-finished puzzle she couldn’t stop trying to solve.
The sound of the lock turning yanked her out of her thoughts. Her muscles tensed as the door creaked open, revealing Serena Ascot, as composed and confident as ever.
“Good morning, Agent Grant,” Serena greeted with her signature smirk, stepping into the room with a tray of food in hand. She moved with a grace that was almost infuriating, as if she had nothing to worry about.
Annalisa didn’t respond. She simply sat there, her sharp gaze tracking Serena’s every move.
“Still giving me the silent treatment?” Serena quipped, setting the tray down on the small table. She turned to face Annalisa, crossing her arms. “You know, it’s not very polite to ignore your host.”
“I didn’t ask to be your guest,” Annalisa retorted, her voice cold.
Serena chuckled softly, the sound low and almost mocking. “No, you didn’t. But here you are.”
Annalisa clenched her jaw, her frustration simmering beneath the surface. She refused to give Serena the satisfaction of seeing how much she got under her skin.
Serena stepped closer, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied Annalisa. “You’re not as clever as you think, you know,” she said. “I know you were listening last night.”
Annalisa’s heart skipped a beat, but she kept her expression neutral. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play coy, Agent Grant,” Serena said, her voice dropping into a softer, more dangerous tone. “You heard just enough to be curious. That’s the problem with you FBI types—you can’t resist sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.”
Annalisa stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. “If you think you can keep me in the dark forever, you’re wrong,” she snapped. “Whatever you’re planning, I’ll figure it out.”
Serena tilted her head, her smirk deepening. “Bold words for someone in your position.”
The tension between them was electric, the air thick with unspoken challenges. Annalisa took a step forward, meeting Serena’s gaze head-on.
“You can smirk all you want, but this isn’t over,” Annalisa said firmly.
Before either of them could say another word, fate intervened in the most unexpected way. Serena took a step back, her foot catching on the edge of the rug. She stumbled, her arms flailing briefly before she reached out to steady herself—grabbing Annalisa’s arm in the process.
The force of the movement sent both of them off balance. Annalisa fell backward onto the floor, and Serena landed on top of her.
Their faces were inches apart.
Time seemed to freeze. Annalisa’s heart raced as she stared up at Serena, whose wide eyes mirrored her own shock. Before either of them could react, Serena’s lips brushed against Annalisa’s—brief, unintentional, but undeniable.
They both froze.
Serena was the first to pull back, her expression a mixture of surprise and something unreadable. She scrambled to her feet, brushing herself off with a mix of embarrassment and frustration.
“Well,” Serena said, her voice deliberately casual, “that was… unexpected.”
Annalisa sat up, her face flushed. “Unexpected? You fell on me!”
“I said it was unexpected,” Serena retorted, her usual composure slipping back into place. “Don’t read too much into it, Agent Grant.”
“Read into it? You—” Annalisa started, but Serena cut her off with a raised hand.
“Relax. It was an accident. You’re not that irresistible,” Serena said, her smirk returning. But there was a flicker of something in her eyes, something that hinted she wasn’t as unaffected as she wanted Annalisa to believe.
Serena turned toward the door, pausing just long enough to throw a parting shot over her shoulder. “But if you ever want a repeat performance, Agent Grant, all you have to do is ask.”
And with that, she was gone, leaving Annalisa sitting on the floor, her thoughts spinning.
For the first time since her captivity, Annalisa felt something other than anger or frustration. It was confusion, curiosity—and something she wasn’t ready to name yet.
Because as much as she hated Serena, that accidental kiss had set something in motion. Something she couldn’t ignore.
YOU ARE READING
Falling Again, But It's a Mistake
RomanceAnnalisa Grant, a senior FBI agent, was tasked with capturing the notorious lady don, a powerful figure in organized crime. For years, she and her team had tracked her every move, knowing the operation was high-risk. Then, everything went wrong. "Si...
