Ten years ago, Lily Rose Wright gave her all to Lucas Thompson. He was her only love and childhood friend. One day, Lucas vanished without a trace. He shattered her heart and left her a part of him.

Time passed, and Lily swore to have moved on with her life. Unexpectedly, Lucas returned and spared no means to force her into marrying him. With a marriage certificate, Lucas bound her relentlessly to his side and the son he left behind.

Lucas promised to give Lily and their son everything their hearts desired, but will his doting ways mend the deep wounds inflicted by the past?

Why did he leave in the first place? If Lily were to find out, would the truth bring them together, or would it tear them apart?

***

"Come back to me, Lily. I'll give you everything you want," Lucas offered.

"What I want is for you to leave me alone," Lily coldly said.

Lucas chuckled. Then, he firmly replied, "Anything but that."

Prologue

'I never imagined that my best friend would become the love of my life,' Lily mused while dancing with Lucas, her childhood friend and boyfriend of five years.

"This is the best week I have ever had. I will always remember these past few days," Lily remarked before Lucas let her make a complete turn as they danced.

Lucas grabbed her waist and leaned down to peck her lips. He softly said, "I'm glad I made you happy."

For an entire week, Lucas had been with Lily, which did not happen often since they lived cities apart and were busy with their lives.

Lucas was from Rose Hills City, while Lily was from Braeton City. Lily was a tough kind of girl and had enlisted in the military. On the other hand, Lucas was studying medicine, but despite their busy schedules, they have survived a long-distance relationship.

In the villa where they stayed for seven days, the couple shared the same bed each night, cooked meals daily, and spent endless hours kissing and recounting stories about their childhood.

Lucas would fly home the following afternoon, so they had an in-villa date. Lucas prepared a special dinner, and they had been dancing to romantic music for over an hour.

They were both dressed to impress like they were in a five-star restaurant, but the truth was they were only in a private villa Lily's parents had rented due to safety reasons.

"I miss this. I missed you so much," Lucas expressed.

Hearing his words, Lily bit her lip. She regretfully said, "I'm sorry. Because of me, we were forced to take too many security measures, and I couldn't travel to see you anymore."

Lucas shook his head. He assuringly said, "It's okay. It's not your fault, and I promise you, everything will be alright."

It was because Lily got involved with a private organization while serving in the military. It resulted in a threat to her life. The same organization was meant to save lives. However, Lily learned it was merely a front, and the leaders had ulterior motives for creating the group.

She wanted out, but that proved to be difficult. That was why she was in a house, locked down with complete security. She had to distance herself from her family for their protection, and it was also why Lily and Lucas had not seen each other for two months.

As they danced, Lucas chuckled and said, "It was always your ambition to help save the world, but you ended up working with the wrong people. Shit happens."

"Right. Shit does happen sometimes," Lily echoed, laughing with him. "Thank you for understanding, Lucas, and always having my back. I love you so much."

"I love you," Lucas declared while cupping her cheek. "I will do anything for you."

Soon, the music shifted to a familiar tune. Lily often dedicated the same piece of slow music to Lucas in high school. Lily chuckled, recalling her previous one-sided love for him.

"God, this song reminds me of when I cried over you because I thought you would never look at me as a girlfriend!" Lily expressed.

"So that's why you tried to wear a skirt and high heels?" Lucas teased.

They both laughed because Lily was not the princess type. She preferred jeans over dresses more than anything.

"I had always had my eye on you, Lily," Lucas declared. Then, his face turned serious as he revealed, "I wanted to pursue you at the right time, not when we were in high school."

"I know that now," Lily smiled and studied Lucas' intense dark eyes.

In the next few seconds, they were silent. Lucas's gaze landed on her lips, and he did not hesitate to passionately kiss her. They stilled, merely relishing in that heated kiss. They were so engrossed with the kiss that Lily felt the heat crawl to her cheek.

When Lucas pulled away, he took out a velvet box from his trouser pocket. Inside were two necklaces made of bead golden chains, and they had golden tag pendants too. Lucas said, "This is for you and me. Something to remember me by and remind me of you forever."

Lily pouted while Lucas put on her necklace. She remarked, "I have too many gifts from you to remember you forever."

Lucas chuckled. He replied, "I know. I just wanted to give you one more."

He also wore his necklace. His pendant had Lily Rose carved, while her pendant had Lucas' name on it.

Lucas held Lily's pendant and said, "When you feel sad, and I'm far away, hold on to this."

He held his pendant and suggested, "I will do the same, thinking of you."

Because of what Lucas said, Lily could not help but be sentimental. She asked, "Why are your words so emotional?"

Lucas did not answer. Instead, he held her tightly again and danced to the remaining music played in the background. Eventually, he softly said in her ear, "Lily, I - I don't know when I'll see you again. I - I don't think I can hold back tonight. I want you, Lily."

With that, Lily gasped.

Truthfully, it was hard to hold back since she loved Lucas beyond compare. Nevertheless, they had preserved their innocence because their families were good friends. They both did not want to do anything that would disappoint their parents.

However, since Lily was alone with Lucas, she figured, why not? She loved him, and she knew Lucas would never hurt her.

That night, Lily and Lucas made love for the first time. Their bare bodies were in synch through the night, tangled in white satin sheets.

It was already in the wee hours when they finally decided to rest. While Lily cuddled into Lucas' chest, she heard him say, "I will always love you, Lily. No matter what. Remember that."

In her drowsy state, Lily did not think much about it and simply answered, "I love you too."

Lily thought her life was perfect despite her current situation. With Lucas by her side, she could withstand all the trials in her life. Sadly, when Lily woke up the next day, Lucas was gone. The security said Lucas left in a rush at dawn. They all thought she knew.

Again and again, Lily called Lucas' number, but his phone was off.

"Lucas, where are you?" She murmured before calling everyone who knew Lucas.

Lily also called Lucas' parents, but to her surprise, Lucas' father said, "Isn't he with you, Lily? I received his text last night saying he would stay longer with you."

Everyone started to look for Lucas at that point, but he seemed to have disappeared. They only discovered that he had withdrawn a substantial amount of money a month ago.

In the following days, Lily escaped the villa that was supposed to protect her. She wanted to find Lucas herself. She went through panic, desperation, anger, and denial of what was going on.

"Lily, maybe you missed something. Go back to the villa and check for clues," her brother suggested during one of their trips to Lucas' medical school. Thus, she went back to the villa and turned her room upside down. Then she saw the note that had slid under her bedside table.

Lucas had apparently left her a note. Lily frantically opened it and read:

[Lily,

I'm sorry it had to be this way, but I know I would not have the courage to tell you this in person. I love you with all my heart, but I must leave.

I wish I could say that I will be back, but the truth is, I don't know what the future holds for me.

Don't wait for me. Don't look for me because you won't find me. Live your life and be happy.

Goodbye.

Your best friend,

Lucas.]

'Goodbye. Don't wait for me.' The words echoed in her head.

Lily's heart stopped beating for a second. Her eyes became muddled with tears.

She could not believe it. Her best friend and the person she entrusted her heart to, left her without giving a proper reason.

"Lucas!" Lily screamed. "Why? What did I do to deserve this?"

"Lucas!"

"Lucas, tell me why?”

That day, Lily screamed her heart out, but no matter how many times she called Lucas' name and asked the heavens, her questions remained unanswered.

***

Nine months passed.

Despite Lucas's letter, Lily and her family continued their search for Lucas. Only the heavens knew how much resources they had spent to locate the man. However, things took a complete turn when something new came into her life.

From inside her bedroom, Lily watched a sleeping baby in a crib.

Lily wept at the baby's cute face. No matter what, this baby was a gift, a new reason to keep going. Thus, Lily decided to close a chapter in her life and start anew.

She opened her bedside drawer and took out the note that Lucas had given her before evaporating in the face of the earth. She took the letter to the bathroom and flushed it down the toilet.

She said, "I accept your goodbye, Lucas."

: The Big Fish

10 years had passed.

"Sergeant, are you heading back? We have a big fish to protect here in Koplin. The big fish is holding a groundbreaking ceremony for a residential building," one of Lily's private said through her Bluetooth earpiece.

Lily shamelessly yawned without covering her mouth as she exited the private car that drove her to the airport. She was about to take a business flight home after a week of service at Koplin Troop Command.

She replied to the person on the phone, "Is this a Black Hawk Mission? I don't remember being notified."

Lily was talking to one of her underlings, Gunner, a National Guard like her, but of lower rank.

"Ah, No, Sergeant. It's an MVM mission, but they sought our help because of its complexity. Since we have a partnership agreement with MVM, here we are," Gunner revealed.

MVM was a local security agency in Koplin, but they had partnered with The Black Hawk in order to provide top-level security to high-end clients. In return, Black Hawk is obliged to offer their employees to MVM.

"Well, as long as they pay us good?" Lily mumbled.

"Oh, yeah. Pay is big, Sergeant. It's three times the usual," Gunner revealed.

"What? How am I not part of this mission?" Lily groaned. She clenched her jaws and claimed, "I could use the extra cash!"

Gunner laughed in response. He answered, "You are not lacking of any money, Sergeant. Sometimes, I wonder why you even enlisted for the military in the first place."

"Yeah, well, kicking ass is what I do best. I was a tomboy then, and I guess that part of me will never change," Lily said before chuckling. "Anyway, I'm about to check in for my flight. Be safe and tell the team to do the same."

Just before putting the phone down, Lily asked, "By the way, how complex is the mission?"

"Level three assassination threat," Gunner replied.

"What!" Lily screamed. Her face flushed when she heard her subordinate's reply. "Level three?"

They rarely dealt with a level-three assassination threat. This meant a private and illegal dispatch group was coming after the "big fish."

"Who the heck is this big fish?" Lily asked, still shocked by the discovery. "Is he a politician? Of royal blood? Or a prosecutor?"

"Haha!" Gunner laughed. "No, just a big businessman. He probably made a lot of enemies, but, strangely, he just took over the company three months ago."

"Must be a big business," Lily remarked.

"Yeah, it's a conglomerate, the Thompson Group of Companies," Gunner replied.

Hearing the company name, Lily stilled. It had been a long time since she heard of it. She stuttered while asking, "The - the Thompson Group of Companies. Who - who is the big fish?"

"Lucas Thompson, the new CEO. Gotta go, Sarge, duty calls," Gunner hung up the phone before Lily could react.

Lucas Thompson. How could Lily forget that name?

Her throat felt paper dry, and her face became white as a ghost. The people in line at the check-in counter overtook her, but she remained unconcerned.

"Lucas," she muttered under her breath. "So the bastard is alive after all."

Chills ran down her spine, and Lily felt her eyeballs were about to pop out of anger. She clenched her jaws, thinking of the man who shattered her heart into a million pieces.

'How long has it been?' Nine? No, ten years,' she mused. It had been ten years since Lucas Thompson vanished into thin air.

Lucas was not just any other man. This man was also her best friend.

She and Lucas were together for five years, and she used to believe they were meant to be. She gave her all to Lucas but he left. He only gave her a note that vaguely ended their relationship. He never called nor hinted if he was alive.

“So, he is back,” Lily muttered.

Lily recounted the first year of Lucas' disappearance. She went through all the stages of rejection, from hurt to denial and acceptance, but truthfully, because Lily never had the chance to confront Lucas, she never had full closure. At the back of her head, she had always wondered why he left.

"Miss, are you in line or what?" A young man distracted Lily from dwelling on the past. She ignored the man and went back in line to check in for her flight.

Through security checks and walking to the airport's VIP lounge, she was absent-minded the whole time.

It was an hour before boarding time when Lily's phone rang again. Gunner was calling.

"Sarge! We have been ambushed! We are stuck at freeway thirty-five. Are you still interested in some extra cash?" Gunner loudly asked on the phone.

Lily froze. Anger swept across her face. Why would she want to save the big fish who stomped on her heart?

Her hands turned frosty as she held the phone tightly against her ears.

On the other line, she could still make out the mechanical noise of silenced firearms. A silencer never truly eradicated the sound of gunshots; it only suppressed it.

"Gia is hit! I repeat, Gia's it!" The voice of Lily’s colleague brought her back to her senses.

She stood up abruptly and said on the phone, "I'm coming. Hold your position, private."

"S-sure, Sarge. We will try to stay alive," Gunner said nervously.

After hanging up the phone, Lily ran to the airport's exit, leaving most of her belongings in the VIP lounge. She only carried her phone, her wallet in her trouser pocket, her Bluetooth earpiece on her ear, and a Glock 22 pistol underneath her leather jacket.

As she sped, she was on the phone with her contacts in Koplin City, "I need the fastest motorcycle you can get me nearest to the airport and a clearance to freeway thirty-five."

From the airport road to the main highway, Lily's frame dashed like lightning. Her determined eyes focused on the path ahead, her long, light brown hair flying with her every step.

Finally, a police motorcycle found her along the way. The officer on it called, "Sergeant, Lily Wright? Your ride."

She hopped in without saying a word, put on the helmet, and drove off.

The motorcycle sliced through the street like an arrow in flight. As Lily maneuvered her ride, she leaned in between turns. With each throttle twist, she synchronized her response—hands gripping, fingers adjusting, and subtle weight shifting.

Lily arrived at the scene in ten minutes, cutting more than half the time. She saw two vehicles that entrapped three Lexus cars. One was a blue SUV, and the other was a ten-wheeler truck deliberately blocking the freeway exit.

All in all, she saw ten men shooting at the three Lexus cars that carried her team and the "big fish."

She targeted the truck and drove past the SUV, evading the flying bullets her way. Lily accelerated before sliding the bike down and rolled off it.

After the bike collided with the truck, the attackers came out of hiding in a panic. Lily's associates immediately covered for her as she got up in a kneeling position. She reached for her pistol, and after pointing at the assailants, she pulled the trigger.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Five shots.

Five targets down, both alive and unknown.

When Sergeant Lily Wright would set on a prey, she would never miss.

: The Lion

“Sarge, thank god you came!” Gunner said while approaching Lily.

“Of course, I came,” Lily replied.

With Lily reinforcing the squad, teamwork picked up a notch. Gunner and his colleagues were more confident under Lily’s presence and command. They managed to immobilize most of the attackers, and with the police arriving for backup, the crossfire eventually ceased.

Lily studied the damage to the three bulletproof Lexus cars in the middle of the crossfire. The first car’s windshield had been shattered due to the number of shots incurred. Lily assumed that was how Gia got shot.

Around them were police officers questioning members of her team, paramedics taking the wounded attackers to the ambulance, and crime scene investigators taking pictures and collecting pieces of evidence.

“Anyone else hurt?” Lily asked Gunner.

“Gia is already headed to the hospital. Nolan only got an abrasion. He will be fine,” Gunner reported. “Johnson and Rick are unharmed.”

“And - the client?” Lily paused, finally remembering the “big fish.”

“Mister Thompson is fine. His car’s windshields did not break, and his personal bodyguard and driver instructed him to remain inside,” Gunner said. “MVM has sent another two Lexus cars to pick him up. The ones that are here must remain for evidence collection.”

Lily tried to avert her gaze from the cars that had arrived. She knew Lucas would be moving into one of them, and she could not bear to see him. She was afraid she might end up killing the client herself.

Instead, she said to Gunner, “Then, I guess I’ll be leaving now -”

“Ah!” Gunner raised his brow, asking, “Aren’t you going to meet the client? Technically, you are our boss. Shouldn’t you talk to him?”

“I have nothing to say to him. Continue to escort him as planned. I’ll call MVM to send in more men from their side to protect the big fish until he leaves Koplin,” Lily responded before turning on her heel and approaching the detective in charge of the investigation.

Gunner had to chase after her and asked, “Wait. Wait. Wait. What’s with the rush, Sarge?”

Shifting to Gunner, Lily reminded, “I gotta get home, remember?”

Lily went ahead and gave her testimony to the lead detective. Afterward, the officer studied her identification and expressed, “An exciting job you got here, Sergeant: a part-time National Guard and a full-time private military contractor for Black Hawk. Any openings for Black Hawk?”

“You are free to apply anytime, Detective,” Lily said casually.

“I probably will do that, Sergeant. I always thought all members of Black Hawk were cool,” the detective said with a laugh. “We are all good here. You may go, but we will be in touch.”

“I’m not hard to find, Detective,” Lily responded.

Just as Lily went past the police officer, she realized that she did not have a car or a bike for that matter! She had wrecked the police motorcycle when she had let it crash against the ten-wheeler truck.

She was about to ask for a ride from one of the police officers when Gunner called from behind, “Sarge! Sarge, Mister Thompson would like to take you to the airport!”

Lily became rooted in place. It took her seconds to get back to her senses, and she continued to walk, pretending not to hear anything. However, Gunner could not take a hint and kept calling her, “Sergeant! Lily! Boss!”

A black, armored Lexus 500 pulled over and blocked her path. Gunner stepped out of the car and said, “Boss.” He leaned his head to the vehicle, saying, “Mister Thompson would like to speak with you and take you to the airport. The ground-breaking ceremony has been re-scheduled due to the attack.”

Lily saw the confusion in Gunner’s expression. He gave her that look that screamed, ‘Be professional, Boss! What the F are you doing?’

Left with no choice, Lily unwillingly entered the car and immediately felt the man’s presence from inside. The energy from Lucas seemed to be eating her whole, yet she refused to look at him as she settled in the backseat.

Gunner had taken the front seat opposite to Lucas’ driver. She noticed the other Lexus car drove past them, taking the lead. After which, they all drove away.

“Mister Thompson, this is our operations director, Sergeant Lily Wright. Like me, she is a National Guard,” Gunner introduced.

Lily remained silent and stared only at the front. Beside her, she heard the man say in a deep voice, “It’s nice to meet you, Sergeant Wright.”

Of course, what did she expect? He left her without saying anything. So now, he was practically denying their past relationship by pretending not to know her!

The truth was, it stung a little. When he disappeared, Lily cried an ocean for him, yet this was how he treated her now? Then again, Lily supposed it was better that way. She could not handle a confrontation with him right now or ever!

Lucas sucked in a deep breath. He added, “Thank you for coming to my rescue -”

“You are mistaken, Mister Thompson. I did not come for you. I came for my team,” Lily cut him off before facing him. Her tone was frosty, and her face was grim.

Finally, she had a glimpse of Lucas. She had to admit what she saw took her aback.

This was… a completely different Lucas Thompson.

The man she used to love always had a gentle expression on his face, and his build was modest. The Lucas now, however, was muscular, like he had been working out all those years he was gone. The muscles around his body were practically cramping his attire.

Additionally, his uncompromising and domineering look appeared to say he had been to hell and back. Lily thought that was really odd.

He looked more mature, and his dark eyes were sharp as if piercing through her frame. His skin was tan. His face was now slightly bearded, and she did not miss the long yet thin scar at the side of his left cheek.

For a fleeting moment, she felt concerned. She wondered what had happened to Lucas all this time and why the hell was he facing a level-three assassination threat to begin with.

A tiny part of her wanted to just throw her pride out the window, wrap her arms around him, and cry out of anger and pain. However, she held back and let her bitterness overpower her. Moreover, a lot had changed from her end. Aside from that, Lily was also in a relationship.

‘Yes, that’s right. I have Jake, my boyfriend,’ Lily convinced herself before returning to study the man next to her.

Lucas wore a black suit and a dark violet shirt underneath. His legs were crossed, and his left elbow leaned on the armrest while his fist supported his chiseled jaw.

He flaunted that latest edition Omega watch and smelled of Versace cologne. He reacted calmly to her curt words, saying, “Ah, no wonder Black Hawk holds such an impressive reputation.”

“You are a private army led by a lion.” Lucas chuckled while glancing at Gunner through the rearview mirror.

While Lucas was talking, the car was moving relatively fast, but Lily felt like everything was in slow motion. The agony of being next to Lucas was killing her composure.

“Lions have always been considered the symbol of power, bravery, courage, strength, and ferocity.” Lucas looked back at Lily, describing, “I saw how you took down those men, Sergeant. You were fearless out there.”

She responded with silence, and from the corner of her eye, she saw the panic in Gunner’s expression. The poor guy was probably afraid he would not get paid for how she treated the client.

“I’ll be sure to compensate you and your team for the hard work you have put in today. I’ll increase the pay to five times your standard rate. I’ll also pay for your colleague’s medical expenses,” Lucas assured, maintaining his stare on her.

Lily did not react. She merely looked straight and crossed her arms against her chest.

“Don’t I get a thank you?” Lucas asked.

At that point, Gunner was glaring at Lily. He seemed to have forgotten that she was above in ranks! But because she understood why Gunner reacted that way, she turned to Lucas indifferently and answered, “Thank you, Mister Thompson.”

Finally, they rode in silence. When they arrived at the airport, Lily was ready to leave the car. Lucas, however, unexpectedly asked, “Will I see you again, Sergeant Wright?”

“I think... never,” Lily said coldly.

She had just opened the car door when Lucas responded, “Really?” The man chuckled and suggested, “On the contrary, I think we will.”

Lily snapped in his direction, and their eyes met.

: Aiden

“Lily? My favorite daughter in the world is back!” Lily’s mother, Scarlett, exclaimed.

Lily could not help but roll her eyes at her mother’s remark. She responded, “Mom, you can’t have a favorite daughter. I am your only daughter!”

Scarlett laughed. Lily’s father, Kaleb, who was sipping tea in the living room, also laughed.

Yes, she was still living with her parents at thirty-three years old. Since her work often took her to different stations, having a place on her own was unnecessary, especially since she had Aiden.

“How was work, Lily?” Kaleb asked.

“Um.” Lily put down her bag on the floor. She replied, “It was a counter-drug operation. Pretty easy.”

“Did you get shot, Sweetie?” Kaleb asked while studying her.

Lily smirked. She proudly said, “I would not be here if I got shot.”

“Very good,” her mother remarked. She sat beside Kaleb and asked, “Why don’t you join us for tea?”

“I -” Lily paused. “I think I’ll go see Aiden.”

“Anything the matter, Lily?” Scarlett asked with a frown. “You seemed bothered?”

Lily had already walked to the foot of the staircase. She stopped, thinking if she should tell her parents about Lucas.

The Thompsons and the Wrights used to be good friends and business partners, but Lucas’ disappearance ten years ago created friction between their families. The Wrights blamed the Thompsons for breaking the trust they had built as friends.

It wasn’t just them, though. Back then, Lily sensed Lucas’ mother had become aloof towards her. It felt to Lily that Lucas’ mother blamed her instead.

Decades of friendship were flushed down the drain because Lily’s oldest brother found evidence suggesting the Thompsons hid their son’s whereabouts. So, given that fact, was it wise to bring up the pain of the past? She did not think so. Thus, she replied to her mother, “Nothing, Mom, I’m just tired.”

“Then, take a rest, Lily,” Kaleb said. “Your mom and I are going to enjoy our alone time.”

Her parents giggled while Lily choked. She knew exactly what that meant. Her parents were already seniors, but they still had an active sex life!

She ran up the stairs and first checked in on Aiden. It was a weekend, and he did not have school. The young man was sound asleep. So Lily went to her room and bathed. After getting changed, she called her boyfriend, Jake, and let him know she had arrived.

Jake was out of town and on a business trip. Thus, she had no other commitments and meant to spend more time with her son. She returned to Aiden’s room soon after.

Seeing that Aiden was awake, Lily called, “Hey!”

The boy turned to her, and he screamed, “Mommy! You are back!”

Lily wasn’t a crybaby. Oh, no, she wasn’t at all. However, seeing her son and how he looked so much like the man from earlier simply brought tears to her eyes.

Ten years ago, she gave herself to Lucas. She lost her purity, but that experience gave her Aiden.

Since Lucas was nowhere to be found and the relationship between her family and the Thompsons became stained, no one knew about Aiden except for the Wright family - her family.

Lily gave birth to a private clinic. Her family opted to home-school Aiden for the first few years. They finally let Aiden enroll in a regular school when they were sure the Thompsons were no longer checking on them, and all their business ties were canceled.

“Hey, Mom. Why are you crying? Did you get hurt from arresting bad guys?” Aiden asked with concern.

“No, Aiden,” Lily quickly shook her head. She sniffed her tears away and said, “I just miss you.”

Aiden embraced her and said, “I missed you too, Mom. Can you take a break from Black Hawk? Can you practice martial arts with me after school?”

Lily chuckled. She answered, “Sure, Aiden, but you know, any of your uncles can also teach you martial arts.”

“I know. I just want to learn from you!” Aiden said.

“Okay. Okay! It will be better if you learn from the best, anyway,” Lily winked at her son.

Lily and Aiden played video games for the first hour of their bonding. Next, they had dinner and watched a movie. It was supposed to be an adventure movie, but it featured a father and son thriving through obstacles. The film probably reminded Aiden of his father. He asked, “Mom? Is my real father still missing?”

Hearing her son, Lily’s body stiffened. Should she tell him about Lucas now? Right now, she did not know what to do. She wanted to give it a lot of thought. She gulped and replied, “Yes, Aiden. He is still... missing.”

That night, Lily remained by Aiden’s side. She stayed up for a few hours, acknowledging how her son needed a father figure. ‘Should I introduce him to Lucas? Or maybe Jake and I should get married.’

‘I can’t stay single forever,’ Lily thought.

***

The sun’s rays hit Lily’s face. She winced and woke up beside Aiden, hugging her tightly in bed the following day. Her phone rang, and she panickedly picked it up, hoping it would not wake her son.

“Lily Wright speaking,” she said, still in a daze.

“Sergeant Lily Wright, This is Sergeant Major Patton. I need you to report to the Fort Eagle Military Camp this Wednesday,” the officer said on the other line. “You have been called for an active duty.”

“Active duty? If I may ask, Sir, what for?” She asked with a frown. “I - I had just reported for my monthly service at Koplin Troop Command -”

“Sergeant, we all know that even serving as a part-time National Guard, you can be called for duty at any time,” the officer reminded her. “For now, I can only say that it is classified. You know the drill.”

“Yes, my apologies, Major. I will be there on Wednesday,” Lily reluctantly acknowledged.

“And Miss Wright,” the major said. “Prepare for a long assignment. You may need to put your full-time job on hold. Inform your family because we don’t know how long this secret mission will last.”

After the call, Lily fell silent. She was going on a secret mission, and the length of the job was unknown. She turned to Aiden and felt regretful because she was going away again.

“What in the world is this secret mission?” She muttered to herself. “On the bright side, Lily. This mission might help you decide what to do about Lucas, maybe even help you stop thinking about him.”

That was what Lily thought until... Wednesday came.