The safe house in Piraeus was not what Eleni expected. It wasn't a dusty basement or a cold warehouse; it was a high-tech penthouse hidden behind the facade of a crumbling industrial building. Through the floor-to-ceiling glass, the lights of the harbor flickered like fallen stars, but Eleni felt more like a prisoner than a guest.
She had just tucked Mia into a bed that probably cost more than her entire flower shop. Leo was passed out on a nearby sofa, exhausted from the trauma of the night. Finally, Eleni stepped back into the sleek, minimalist living room, where the scent of expensive leather and gunpowder hung in the air.
Ben was sitting at a marble kitchen island, his back to her. He had removed the ridiculous hoodie. Now, he was shirtless, a white bandage wrapped tightly around his torso. He was staring at a row of glowing computer monitors, his fingers flying across a keyboard with a lethal precision.
"You look like you're planning a war, not a getaway," Eleni said, her voice echoing in the quiet room.
Ben didn't look up, but a ghost of a smirk touched his lips. "In my world, Eleni, a getaway is just a war you haven't started yet. How's the little bird?"
"Mia is sleeping. She thinks we're on a 'secret adventure' because her favorite cousin Sebastian is a spy," Eleni said, walking over and leaning against the island. She watched his hands. "You lied to her, Ben. You're good at that."
"I prefer the term 'creative storytelling'," Ben replied, finally turning to look at her. The blue light from the monitors made his eyes look like polished steel. "And technically, I am a spy tonight. I'm looking into the bank accounts of the men who tried to burn your shop down. It's a very satisfying hobby."
Eleni sighed, her anger softening into curiosity. "Who are they? Why are they so desperate to find you?"
Ben went silent for a moment. He picked up a glass of amber liquid—something that smelled far more expensive than anything Eleni had ever seen. "They are the ghosts of my past, Eleni. I spent ten years building an empire for Silas. But when a king grows old, his knights start looking for a new crown. I was supposed to be the new king. Some people... didn't agree with the succession."
"So you stole their gold?"
"I didn't steal it. I reclaimed it," Ben countered, his voice dropping an octave. "It was meant for the people Silas had ruined. I was going to use it to get out. To leave this life. But apparently, the exit door is locked from the outside."
Eleni looked at the bandage on his side. "And now I'm locked in here with you."
"Are you complaining?" Ben asked, tilting his head with that familiar, arrogant spark. "You have a view of the Aegean, a professional espresso machine—which, by the way, I've already set to your preferred 'potting soil' strength—and the most handsome bodyguard in Greece. Most women would pay for this."
"Most women haven't had a gun—I mean, a flashlight—pointed at their neck by you," Eleni shot back, though a small smile escaped her. "You're insufferable, Benson."
"And you're incredibly stubborn, Eleni. It's a miracle we haven't killed each other yet," he said, standing up slowly. He took a step toward her, invading her space until she could smell the sandalwood on his skin. "Why didn't you run? At the harbor, when you saw Leo and Mia... you could have taken the van and disappeared."
Eleni looked up at him, her breath hitching. "Where would I go? You said it yourself. They know my face. They know my van. You're the only shield I have."
"Is that the only reason?" Ben whispered.
The tension between them was no longer about gold or guns. It was about the way he looked at her—as if she were the first real thing he had touched in a decade. Eleni reached out, her fingers grazing the edge of his bandage.
"I don't leave people behind," she said softly. "Even the ones who ruin my life."
Ben's hand came up, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw. For a second, the 'Shadow King' was gone. There was only a man who was tired of being alone.
"You're a dangerous woman, Eleni," he murmured. "You make me want to be the man your daughter thinks I am."
The moment was shattered by a sharp, rhythmic beeping from the monitors. Ben's head snapped back to the screens. His expression went from soft to lethal in a heartbeat.
"What is it?" Eleni asked, her heart racing.
"They found the digital trail," Ben hissed, his fingers flying across the keys again. "I thought I had more time. They didn't go for the shop. They went for the harbor's security feed."
"Can they see us?"
"No. Not yet," Ben said, grabbing a black tactical jacket from a chair. "But they're moving toward the pier. They're systematic. They'll be at this door in twenty minutes."
Eleni felt the panic rising again. "What do we do? We can't move Mia and Leo again, they just fell asleep!"
Ben turned to her, his eyes blazing with a fierce, intelligent light. He grabbed a small silver device from the counter and handed it to her.
"I'm not moving them. I'm moving us," Ben said. "Eleni, do you remember what I said? About you being a diamond in a coal mine? It's time to show them how bright you can shine."
"Ben, what are you talking about?"
"The Gala isn't over," Ben said, a dark, brilliant plan forming in his eyes. "The Mayor, The Accountant, and the men hunting me... they are all in one place tonight. If we stay here, we're sitting ducks. If we go back to the lion's den... we're the hunters."
"You want me to go back to the Villa? As what?"
Ben looked her up and down, a slow, appreciative smirk forming on his face. "Not as a florist. You're going as the guest of honor. And I'm going as your 'Sebastian'."
"I don't have a dress for a gala, Ben! I have dirt under my nails and a van that smells like lilies!"
Ben walked over to a hidden closet in the wall and pressed a button. The doors slid open to reveal a row of stunning, high-end evening gowns. He pulled out a dress the color of midnight blue, covered in subtle, shimmering crystals.
"I told you," Ben whispered, leaning into her ear. "I know everything. Now, go get changed. We have a party to crash. And Eleni?"
"Yes?" she asked, clutching the dress.
"Try not to fall in love with me tonight. It would complicate the mission."
"In your dreams, Benson!" she yelled, but as she ran toward the bathroom, her heart was beating for a completely different reason.