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EngSub Agent 003 Reborn from Hell 🌎Aurora
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00:02Take off your police uniform, Amelia Saddington.
00:05You don't deserve to wear it at all.
00:07Desmond Urich, the head of the Major Crimes Unit,
00:11stripped my police uniform off me right in front of the entire team.
00:15So you really are still holding it against me from the raid
00:18because I prioritized protecting the hostages
00:21and didn't take good enough care of Addison,
00:23leaving her with a few scrapes.
00:25At my rebuttal, Desmond slapped me hard across the face
00:29in front of everyone.
00:31My head snapped to the side.
00:33He accused me of taking personal revenge under the guise of duty,
00:37then used every means to suspend me.
00:39After my suspension, Vicente D'Acra, my childhood friend,
00:43told me he wanted to marry me.
00:45But on the eve of our engagement,
00:47I overheard him talking to Desmond.
00:49Both of them were only protecting Addison.
00:52In pure despair, I changed into faded street clothes
00:55and headed alone to state police headquarters.
00:59Agent 003, Amelia Sadinton,
01:01requesting assignment to Operation Foxhunt as an undercover operative.
01:04Scrub my file.
01:05I'm not coming back.
01:06Desmond slapped me hard across the face
01:09and my head snapped to the side.
01:11Before the pain in my cheek even set in,
01:14the trauma from my abduction flared up suddenly.
01:17Agony seeped from my bones
01:19and I curled up on the ground.
01:21Seeing me like this,
01:23Desmond kicked me.
01:24Quit playing dead!
01:26I clutched at his pant leg,
01:28sweating cold from the pain,
01:29and trembled as I whispered,
01:31Tranquilizer.
01:32I need a tranquilizer.
01:35Desmond only stared at me coldly,
01:37then said to his subordinates beside him,
01:40Addison was traumatized during the rescue.
01:44Give it to her first.
02:06Desmond had already used the episode as a pretext to file for my suspension.
02:15He told our superiors I was mentally unstable and prone to violence.
02:19To calm Addison's nerves,
02:20he even confiscated my service weapon.
02:23He locked it in his own desk.
02:25The only person who didn't abandon me was Vicenti Dacra.
02:28A forensic pathologist who had known me since we were kids.
02:32Vicenti promised he would vouch for me with the bureau to get me reinstated.
02:36He told me he wanted to marry me.
02:38That he would take care of me for the rest of my life.
02:41But, on the eve of our engagement,
02:43I overheard him talking to Desmond outside the forensics lab.
02:47Amy's a lost cause.
02:49After that kidnapping,
02:50everyone on the force is talking that she slept with the cartel boss for three days just to stay alive.
02:55She's tainted.
02:56What do you know?
02:57Back then,
02:57I had to pull out to save Addison,
03:00leaving Emmy trapped in that den.
03:03I'm drowning in guilt,
03:05but I can't stand what she's become.
03:08She's a total head case now.
03:09Lieutenant,
03:10you don't actually love Addison,
03:11do you?
03:13You're only marrying her because Addison is terrified
03:15Amy will snap and come after Addison.
03:17You just want to keep her under your thumb and sedated,
03:20so she won't hurt Addie.
03:22So that was it.
03:23Both of them were only protecting Addison.
03:26In pure despair,
03:27I changed into a pair of faded street clothes.
03:30I headed alone to the high security archives at state police headquarters.
03:35Standing before the commander-in-chief,
03:36Donald Tabert,
03:37I snapped into a perfect salute.
03:39My voice was hoarse,
03:40but it didn't waver.
03:41Agent 003,
03:42Amelia Sadinton,
03:43requesting assignment to Operation Fox Hunt as an undercover operative.
03:47Scrub my file.
03:49I'm not coming back.
03:50Donald's gray eyebrows knitted together,
03:52his eyes clouded with regret.
03:54This operation takes you deep into the heart of the golden tranql,
03:58straight into the hands of the most brutal cartel on the planet.
04:02To earn their trust,
04:04you might be forced into addiction or worse.
04:07Taking this assignment is effectively a death sentence.
04:11I squeezed my eyes shut against the sharp ache in my chest.
04:14My voice remained resolute.
04:16I'm ready.
04:17Both my parents were undercover narcotics officers who died on the border.
04:22I have nothing left to lose.
04:23If it takes my life to bring that cartel down,
04:26then that's a price I'm more than willing to pay.
04:29Donald glanced at the space on my waist where my police badge used to be.
04:33Isn't today the day you were supposed to head to the city hall with Dr. Dockwer?
04:38Don't you want a peaceful life?
04:40The tears finally broke,
04:42spilling over despite my best efforts,
04:45not wanting Donald to see me as weak.
04:47I roughly wiped my face.
04:48I did not explain.
04:50Donald didn't press further.
04:51He simply patted my shoulder heavily,
04:53a silent gesture of respect and farewell.
04:55Someone will be waiting to escort you across the border at 3 tomorrow morning.
05:00If you survive and complete this assignment,
05:04the department will restore your file
05:06and grant you our highest honor.
05:10I saluted in silence and walked out of the headquarters building.
05:14My mind blur.
05:16Just as I was about to leave,
05:18Desmond appeared in front of me.
05:19He was holding the leash of my retired canine partner,
05:23Kale.
05:23His gaze was cold.
05:24His tone completely unyielding.
05:27Kale hasn't stopped barking for days.
05:29It's disturbing Addy's rest.
05:32I was planning to drop it at a shelter in the suburbs,
05:35but since we ran into each other,
05:37it's your problem now.
05:38I stared down at Kale,
05:40a decorated veteran I had raised and trained myself.
05:43A partner who had saved my life more times than I could count.
05:50Five years ago,
05:51when Kale retired,
05:52Desmond had sworn he would treat it like family.
05:56He swore he would never let it suffer.
05:58Now,
05:59just to ensure Addison slept undisturbed,
06:02he was ready to discard an old comrade like trash.
06:06Kale saw me and let out a desperate whine.
06:08It lunged forward,
06:10but Desmond yanked back on its collar so hard the dog began to choke.
06:14Its eyes rolling back,
06:15my heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest.
06:20Ignoring Desmond,
06:21I crouched down immediately to calm Kale.
06:24Desmond looked down at me,
06:25his voice stern.
06:26Isn't today your big day with Visado?
06:29What the hell are you doing at state police headquarters?
06:32Get in the car.
06:34I'll drive you back.
06:36Aren't you worried Vicente will change his mind?
06:38And dump a junkie like you if you're late for the ceremony?
06:42I stood up slowly,
06:43my expression cold as I brushed the dust off my hands.
06:47I'm not marrying him.
06:49Not anymore.
06:50Desmond let out a sharp, mocking laugh.
06:54I get it.
06:55You're bitter.
06:56You still blame me for choosing to save Addy first?
07:00I also know you came here to file a formal complaint against me.
07:04But look at the facts.
07:07You're an officer who was held by a cartel boss for three days.
07:11God knows what happened to you in there.
07:13With all the rumors flying around the bureau,
07:16how could I ever trust you with real field work again?
07:20Don't worry though,
07:21I picked up the low-level thugs who grabbed you,
07:23and made sure they got sentenced to death.
07:25Consider the debt solved.
07:28Now the fact that Vicente is still willing to marry a woman like you,
07:32mentally unstable,
07:33and potentially diseased,
07:37is more than you deserve.
07:40Don't push your luck.
07:42I looked up at the man I had once admired.
07:45His features were as sharp as ever,
07:48but his heart had turned to stone.
07:50The claims that I was mentally unstable were nothing but a convenient excuse.
07:56Addison as a psychiatrist,
07:58had filled my evaluation with nothing but slander.
08:01Where were her professional ethics?
08:02A wave of sorrow crashed over me.
08:05There were too many words trapped in my chest.
08:08A weight so heavy I could barely breathe.
08:10In the end,
08:11all that emotion was stripped away,
08:14leaving only two words.
08:17Get out!
08:18My defiance instantly enraged him.
08:21He whipped Kale's leash toward me,
08:23the leather nearly catching me across the face.
08:25Amelia, don't push me.
08:28Vicente and I are like brothers.
08:30He's a good man.
08:33Don't you dare think you can keep him on a leash?
08:37Just to use him as a backup plan?
08:40I let out a cold, sharp laugh and chased him away.
08:44Afterward, I led Kale back to the police housing.
08:48My foster father, the former chief,
08:50had been waiting for a long time in the cold wind.
08:54Amy, thank God.
08:56The Dockwig family has been looking everywhere for you.
08:59Where have you been?
09:00I didn't hold anything back.
09:01I told him everything,
09:03including my application for the undercover assignment.
09:06The color drained from his face.
09:09His cane clattered against the pavement
09:11as it slipped from his hand.
09:12No!
09:13I won't allow it!
09:15Your parents already gave everything to this life.
09:20I won't stand by and watch you throw yours away too.
09:24I took a breath and told him everything.
09:27Every word I had overheard outside the forensics lab.
09:30When I finished,
09:31my foster father was shaking with rage.
09:34He gripped his cane,
09:36ready to storm down to the bureau and demand justice for me.
09:39I threw my arms around his knees,
09:42sinking to the floor.
09:43My tears soaked into the fabric of his trousers.
09:47Dad, please, you have to let me go.
09:50If I marry Vicente,
09:52if I'm forced to live under their thumb
09:54and be sedated every day,
09:55that's not living.
09:57It's a slow death.
09:59Operation Foxhunt isn't just about settling a score.
10:03It's about finishing what my parents started.
10:06It was their last wish.
10:08Getting away from this place is the only way I'll ever be free.
10:12Seeing the unwavering resolve in my eyes,
10:15he broke down into bitter tears.
10:17He finally fell silent.
10:19As an old-timer on the force,
10:21he understood that some assignments were a one-way street.
10:25There was no coming back from them.
10:27When the wedding procession arrived later that day,
10:29there was no fanfare,
10:31no decorations,
10:32just a few black sedans idling at the curb downstairs.
10:35I didn't bother with a wedding dress.
10:37Instead,
10:38I threw on a black hardshell jacket
10:40and walked straight out of the building.
10:41Looking at Vicente's gentle face
10:44felt like a slow twist of a knife.
10:46The pain had long since moved past Sharp.
10:49Now it was just a heavy,
10:51throbbing numbness in my heart.
10:53He was only doing this to keep me on a leash,
10:55to clear a path for Addison.
10:57How could he still stand there
10:59and play the part of the devoted lover?
11:01It was disgusting.
11:03I pulled the prenuptial agreement from my pocket.
11:06I tore it into a dozen pieces
11:08and let the wind scatter them across the pavement.
11:12The wedding is off.
11:14Get out of here.
11:17Vicente's expression hardened instantly.
11:20Dropping the gentleman act,
11:22he closed the distance between us in a few steps.
11:25He clamped his hand around my wrist.
11:28Emi, do you have any idea what you're doing?
11:31I'm the only person in the entire department
11:34who doesn't hold your past against you.
11:36Why the hell are you taking this out on me?
11:40I know you're still in love with Desmond.
11:43But if you truly love someone,
11:46shouldn't you let him be with Addie?
11:48My eyes stung,
11:49but I tilted my head back to look at him.
11:52Every word I spat dripping with venom.
11:55So that's it.
11:57You love her too.
11:59You're throwing your life away on me
12:02just to pave the way for them.
12:04You're taking me in just to make sure
12:06this crazy woman doesn't pest her Desmond
12:08or hurt Addison.
12:12You were planning to keep me sedated
12:14until I was too drugged to resist, weren't you?
12:18A flicker of guilt crossed his eyes,
12:20but he kept up the charade,
12:22even forcing his eyes to redden
12:23as if he were the one betrayed.
12:25Emi, how could you think so little of me?
12:28We grew up together.
12:30Everything I'm doing is for your own good.
12:32The neighbors and colleagues gathered around
12:35began to whisper.
12:36Dr. Docware has done more than enough for her.
12:39Amelia hasn't been right since that operation.
12:42Who else would even consider marrying her?
12:45I heard she came back from that den tainted.
12:48She should be thanking her lucky stars
12:50he's still willing to take her.
12:51My foster father's face flushed with rage
12:53as he raised his hand.
12:55I quickly grabbed his arm and shook my head.
12:57Dad, don't.
12:59Desmond is the captain now,
13:01and the Docware family has too much pull.
13:04We can't win a fight against them.
13:06Addison's the department's golden girl.
13:08Everyone is on her side.
13:09No one will believe us.
13:11They'll just see me as a jealous, unstable woman.
13:14His chest heaved with suppressed anger.
13:17Finally, he let out a heavy, defeated sigh
13:20and turned back toward the house.
13:23Vicente reached for my hand again,
13:25his voice dropping into that familiar, hypocritical tone.
13:29Amy, if you're not in the right headspace today,
13:30we can push the date back.
13:33But my promise to you hasn't changed.
13:37Just promise me you won't bother Desmond and Addie anymore.
13:41I jerked my hand away and stared at him
13:43as if he were already dead.
13:45I'm not marrying you,
13:47and I'm never looking for Desmond again.
13:49Not in this lifetime.
13:52Because I'm...
13:54I was seconds away from telling him
13:57I was leaving the country
13:58when Desmond's SUV pulled up.
14:00Addison stepped out,
14:02dressed in a white dress.
14:03She made a show of needing Desmond's
14:05help getting out of the car.
14:07She cast Vicente a faint, flirtatious look.
14:10A spark flickered in Vicente's eyes
14:12for a split second before vanishing.
14:15Addison walked over to me,
14:16her eyes already beginning to redden.
14:19Her voice was soft and sounded utterly tender
14:22that it could break people's hearts.
14:23Amy, why are you still causing a scene?
14:26It's your wedding day!
14:28Why do you have to keep making
14:30Captain Urals and Vic worry about you?
14:33The murmurs around me grew sharper.
14:36She just said she didn't want to marry him,
14:37but the second Captain Urals shows up,
14:39she's standing there stardrock.
14:40How shameless can you get?
14:42Dr. Dockware even went out of his way
14:44to pull strings for her medication.
14:46An ungrateful woman like that
14:47belongs back in a holding cell.
14:49When Desmond heard that I had called off the wedding,
14:51his gaze turned icy.
14:53He stepped protectively in front of Addison.
14:56Amelia, I know you look down on Addie
14:58because she's a civilian.
15:00You think she's delicate, don't you?
15:02But let's look at the facts.
15:04How many major cases has she closed
15:06from behind the scenes
15:07using psychological profile?
15:08Her hands are meant for a pen.
15:11They're clean, untainted.
15:13And then there's you.
15:15Ever since that mission,
15:17you've been nothing but bitter and full of malice.
15:20Now you've even lost the little loyalty you had left.
15:24How can you even begin to compare yourself to her?
15:26I felt a sting in my nose as I sniffled.
15:29The late autumn wind whipped against my collar,
15:31but it couldn't chill me nearly as much
15:33as the coldness in my own chest.
15:35To put Addison on a pedestal,
15:37Desmond had gone as far as handing over half
15:39of my hard-earned career achievements to her.
15:44Overnight, I became the crazy woman of the department.
15:47Addison became the celebrated genius profiler,
15:50the golden girl of the force.
15:52Suddenly, Addison pointed at the worn collar
15:55around Kale's neck.
15:56Oh, isn't that my missing emerald?
15:59How did it end up set into a dog collar?
16:02My body went rigid.
16:03I stared at Desmond,
16:05my eyes bloodshot and burning.
16:07That emerald?
16:08Wasn't that the retirement gift
16:10you gave Kale back then?
16:11A flicker of guilt crossed Desmond's eyes.
16:13His voice remained iron cold.
16:15I never gave you anything like that.
16:17That's Addie's family heirloom.
16:18It went missing just a few days ago,
16:20so you're the one who stole it.
16:21The air was suddenly filled with voices calling me a thief.
16:25Every word felt like a bullet through my eardrums.
16:28Ignoring the sharp ache in my chest,
16:31I reached down with trembling hands.
16:33I unbuckled Kale's collar
16:35and slammed it onto the pavement.
16:37The emerald shattered into broken pieces.
16:40I haven't even set foot in your office.
16:42How could I have stolen anything?
16:43A flash of triumph crossed Addison's face.
16:46She buried herself in Desmond's arms, sobbing.
16:49Captain Urist, a few days ago,
16:51Emi came to your office to cause us mean.
16:53She must have taken it then.
16:56A voice rang out from the crowd,
16:58sharp with impatience.
17:00Addie, it's just an emerald.
17:01It's broken.
17:02Let it go.
17:04I'll buy you a better one.
17:06Emi is still my deputy lead after all.
17:09Let's not make a scene in front of her house.
17:12Desmond pulled Addison closer,
17:13his eyes fiercely protective.
17:15He looked at me as if I were nothing but trash.
17:18Vedante, since she doesn't know what's good for her,
17:21consider the wedding off.
17:22Let's get out of here.
17:23Don't lower yourself to her level.
17:24I called out, my voice trembling.
17:29Desmond, we grew up together.
17:31How can you not believe me?
17:32He turned back,
17:33his gaze devoid of even a trace of warmth.
17:36He leaned in close,
17:38speaking in a low voice meant only for me.
17:40I want you to understand something.
17:42I don't care how outstanding you used to be.
17:46In my eyes, you don't even compare to Addie.
17:49If you keep trying to cling to me,
17:51you'll only disgust me more.
17:53My eyes stung with a bitter ache,
17:55but it felt as though my tears had already run dry.
18:00My mind drifted back to our days at the police academy.
18:04Back then, no matter who tried to bully me,
18:07Desmond would step in front of me without hesitation.
18:09He would declare I was under his protection.
18:13After that, no one dared to even raise their voice at me.
18:17But now, just to drive me away,
18:19he was letting the woman he loved drag my name through the mud.
18:23He didn't realize that even if I wanted to cling to him,
18:26I was out of time, by sunrise tomorrow,
18:29my identity would cease to exist.
18:31After the crowd dispersed,
18:33Vicenti dismissed the lingering colleagues with a wave of his hand.
18:37Seeing my numb expression,
18:39he grabbed my hand,
18:40his voice edged with impatience.
18:42Emmy, I'm sorry,
18:44that emerald really does belong to Addie.
18:46She gave it to me before,
18:47and I just passed it on to you.
18:49But I saw how much she liked it.
18:51If I hadn't played along,
18:52she would have been put in an awkward spot in front of Desmond.
18:55I stared at him,
18:56my face a mask of indifference.
19:00So you just stood there and watched them brand me a thief?
19:03He spoke with the gall of a man who truly believed he was in the right.
19:08There were so many people watching, Emmy.
19:12If I had called her out,
19:14how was Desmond supposed to save his image?
19:17How could Addison even stay on the force after a scandal like that?
19:22Besides, you're already suspended.
19:24Your reputation has already taken a hit.
19:26One more accusation isn't going to change anything.
19:29As long as I know you're innocent,
19:31that's all that matters.
19:33Once the wedding is over,
19:34I'll take you out of town for treatment.
19:36We'll start over on a clean slate.
19:39He was wrong.
19:39I wasn't looking for a fresh start.
19:41I simply reached the point where I didn't believe in humanity anymore.
19:45I slowly pulled my hand from his grip.
19:48I turned toward the hallway and shut the rusty iron door between us.
19:52Vicenti hammered on the door,
19:54his voice boiling over with rage.
19:56Emilia!
19:57Don't be so ungrateful!
19:59No one else out there
20:00would touch a crazy woman like you!
20:03I'll give you one night to get your head straight.
20:06I'm coming for you tomorrow morning.
20:09If you're still acting this stubborn,
20:11don't blame me for forgetting we were ever friends.
20:14I leaned against the door,
20:16listening until the sound of his footsteps finally faded.
20:19When the silence returned,
20:21my legs gave out.
20:23I slid to the floor,
20:24clutching Kale and sobbing until I couldn't breathe.
20:31Kale let out a low whine,
20:33licking the tears from my face.
20:35Later that night,
20:36I packed my life into a few small bags.
20:39I tucked the police badge
20:41that represented my past glory under my pillow.
20:44Then,
20:45leash in hand.
20:46I walked through the shadows of the night with Kale.
20:49When we reached the garage,
20:51I tied Kale's leash to a pole.
20:53It seemed to sense what was coming.
20:55It clamped its teeth onto my trouser leg,
20:58its eyes wide and pleading.
21:00I knelt,
21:01and with a heart made of stone,
21:03I slapped it.
21:04It let out a sharp whimper and backed away.
21:08Kale,
21:09if you follow me,
21:10you'll die.
21:12Stay here.
21:13At least this way you live.
21:15I pulled the knot tight
21:17and walked away without looking back.
21:19Behind me,
21:20Kale let out a series of heart-wrenching barks,
21:22each one sounding like a final goodbye.
21:24I whispered into the empty night sky,
21:27Amelia reporting to hell.
21:28I can't take it with me.
21:31I just hope it finds a decent owner.
21:34I stepped into the waiting van
21:36as the pre-dawn chill set in a
21:37single tear burned against my cheek
21:40for a second before the wind turned it to ice.
21:42Desmond,
21:43Vicenti,
21:44the bond we shared as brothers in arms died today.
21:47It was all gone.
21:48Burned to nothing.
21:50The next morning,
21:52Kale was found tied to the pole,
21:54shivering in the cold.
21:55Desmond frowned,
21:56his face twisted in disgust.
21:58So that crazy woman actually dumped the dog here?
22:02Does she really think she can win me over
22:04with a stunt like this?
22:06He untied the leash
22:07and was about to chase it away
22:08when Kale spat out a scrap of chewed up paper.
22:11Desmond pieced it together,
22:13barely making out a few words.
22:15Undercover suicide mission.
22:17Final farewell.
22:18He let out a cold sneer
22:19and tossed the scraps into the trash.
22:21Another one of her mind games.
22:23How boring.
22:24I was already on a transport plane
22:26heading toward the border.
22:28Staring at the clouds outside the window,
22:31I felt a strange hollow sense of peace.
22:34Even though Desmond told himself
22:35he didn't believe a word of it,
22:37he couldn't shake the restless feeling
22:39gnawing at his gut.
22:40Without even realizing it,
22:42he got in his car.
22:44He found himself driving toward the police housing.
22:47He arrived just in time
22:49to see Vicenti clutching his ID
22:51and pounding at my door.
22:52Emilia!
22:54Get out now!
22:57Stop playing dead!
22:59Desmond rolled down his window,
23:01his voice ice cold.
23:03Vicenti, give it a rest.
23:06A manipulative woman like her
23:08is probably hiding somewhere right now.
23:12Laughing at both of us.
23:16Vicenti looked embarrassed
23:17when he saw Desmond,
23:18but he doubled down stubbornly.
23:21Captain Urift,
23:22I'm just worried
23:22Emmy might do something reckless.
23:25She was in a really bad state yesterday.
23:27Desmond scoffed.
23:28Reckless?
23:29She values her life more than anyone.
23:32That whole performance yesterday
23:33was just for our benefit, wasn't it?
23:35Just as the words left his mouth,
23:37my foster father stepped out of the stairwell.
23:39He leaned heavily on his cane,
23:41his eyes heavy with disappointment and grief.
23:43You two should leave.
23:45Emmy is gone.
23:46She sent the dog away yesterday,
23:48and she's already on her way to the border.
23:52Desmond frowned,
23:53his voice dripping with disbelief.
23:55You're actually humoring this nonsense?
23:59The border is no place for her.
24:01In the state she's in,
24:03she can barely hold a gun steady.
24:06She'd be nothing but a liability.
24:07My foster father let out a cold, hollow snort.
24:10And whose fault is that?
24:12You two drove her out of this city.
24:14She felt she had no choice
24:16but to volunteer for that suicide mission.
24:19She thinks dying out there
24:21is the only way to clear her name.
24:23Desmond flinched,
24:24but he quickly forced a dismissive smirk.
24:27Undercover?
24:28Her?
24:29Don't be ridiculous.
24:31If she actually has the guts to go through with that,
24:36I'll eat my hat.
24:39He turned and walked away,
24:41refusing to listen to another word.
24:44Yet when he returned to the station
24:46and passed the archives,
24:47he walked in on an impulse.
24:49He pulled up my file.
24:51A bold red warning flashed across the screen.
24:54Top secret, sealed.
24:57At that moment,
24:58his hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
25:00He rushed toward the chief's office.
25:03But the secretary informed him
25:05that the chief was already at a briefing
25:06at state police headquarters.
25:08He called Vicenti immediately.
25:11Vicenti, check Emi's travel records now!
25:14Hurry up!
25:15On the other end of the line,
25:17Vicenti's voice was shaking.
25:20Desmond, I was just about to call you.
25:23Addison is having morning sickness.
25:25She says the baby might not make it.
25:28Let's put the stuff about Emi aside for a minute.
25:31Addie's in critical condition.
25:33Desmond froze,
25:35his mind spiraling into chaos.
25:37On one side was his childhood friend,
25:40who might be walking to her death.
25:42On the other was his fragile current partner,
25:45carrying what they believed was a fallen comrade's child.
25:48Finally, he gritted his teeth.
25:51Stay with Addie at the hospital.
25:53I'm on my way.
25:57As for me,
25:58he convinced himself
26:00it was just another one of my desperate plays for attention.
26:04A sealed file?
26:05Please.
26:06She must have begged the former chief
26:08to pull some strings and fake it.
26:11Six months later,
26:12big news came from the border.
26:14The drug cartel that had ruled the Golden Triangle four years
26:18was finally taken down in one major strike.
26:20The success was all thanks to an undercover officer,
26:24codenamed 003.
26:26This officer had lived among the cartel
26:28and sent back the secret data needed for the raid.
26:30But during the final fight,
26:33003 went missing,
26:34no one knew if the officer was dead or alive.
26:37While the rest of the department celebrated,
26:40Desmond and Vicenti couldn't even smile.
26:42They were the only ones who remembered
26:44that 003 was my old codename.
26:47During the victory party,
26:49Addison walked in,
26:50leaning on Desmond's arm.
26:52She was heavily pregnant now.
26:55Des, don't worry so much.
26:56Emmy will be okay.
26:57She's always been lucky.
26:59Besides, our baby has been kicking me all day.
27:03Desmond looked at Addison's belly.
27:05A flicker of tenderness crossed his face,
27:07but it was mostly buried under pure exhaustion.
27:11Over the last six months,
27:13he had dreamed of me countless times.
27:15In the nightmares,
27:16I stood before him,
27:18covered in blood,
27:19asking why he hadn't saved me.
27:21Every time he woke up,
27:23his pillow was wet with tears.
27:27Nearby,
27:27Vicenti drank alone,
27:29his eyes dark.
27:31He had known the truth for a long time.
27:33I really had gone to the border.
27:35But he didn't dare tell Desmond.
27:38He certainly couldn't face Addison.
27:40The truth was,
27:41the child Addison carried
27:42wasn't a deceased comrade's child at all.
27:45That night,
27:46he had been drunk and mistaken Addison for me.
27:49If that secret ever came out,
27:51all three of them would be finished.
27:53Suddenly,
27:54the doors swung open,
27:56several special forces soldiers in camouflage
27:58carried in a stretcher draped with a white sheet.
28:01A single limp hand hung off the side,
28:04tightly clutching a shattered police badge.
28:07The entire hall went silent.
28:09The glass in Desmond's hand
28:11hit the floor and shattered.
28:12He staggered forward,
28:14reaching out to lift the sheet.
28:16The lead soldier stepped in his way.
28:18Captain Urence,
28:20I'm sorry for your loss.
28:21This is Deputy Captain Saddenton.
28:23We found her in the dungeon
28:24of the cartel's stronghold.
28:25Desmond's legs gave out,
28:27and he hit his knees beside the stretcher.
28:29He reached out with trembling fingers
28:32and pulled back a corner of the white sheet.
28:35The face underneath
28:36was completely unrecognizable.
28:39Her once-beautiful features
28:40were a mass of knife scars and burn marks.
28:43Her skin barely intact.
28:45Only the old, familiar scar on her neck remained clear.
28:49The one she had gotten
28:50saving him from drowning when they were children.
28:56Desmond let out a gut-wrenching cry
28:58that echoed through the silent hall.
29:00Addison turned pale,
29:02clutching her belly and backing away in terror.
29:05Nearby, the wine bottle slipped from Vicenti's hand
29:08as he collapsed to the floor,
29:09his eyes completely hollow.
29:12Suddenly, the limp hand on the stretcher twitched.
29:15Desmond snapped his head up,
29:17a flash of desperate hope in his eyes.
29:21Doctor!
29:22Get a doctor over here!
29:24She's still alive!
29:25The military medic shook his head,
29:27his voice heavy with grief.
29:30Captain Urence, it's no use.
29:32They pumped her full of neurotoxins.
29:35Her organs have already failed.
29:37She's only held on this long by sheer willpower.
29:40She said she had something to tell you.
29:43Desmond and Vicenti scrambled closer,
29:45pressing their ears to my lips.
29:49My voice was a ghost of a sound,
29:51coming out in shallow, broken gasps.
29:55Desmond,
29:56Vincenia,
29:57tell Addison,
29:59the act is over.
30:00I'll see you in hell.
30:04With those final words,
30:05my hand went completely limp.
30:07The eyes that had once shown like stars were closed forever.
30:11In the corner of the hall,
30:13a man in a black trench coat watched the scene with cold indifference.
30:17He was the supreme commander of the operation.
30:20The only person in the world I had truly trusted.
30:22A top secret agent known only as Lone Wolf.
30:27He ran a hand over the sniper rifle at his side.
30:30A dark, dangerous smirk pulling at his lips.
30:33The real show has only just been Barton.
30:36As the hand fell limp,
30:38a heavy silence filled the hall.
30:40Broken only by Desmond's frantic roar.
30:44Where's the ambulance?
30:45Why isn't it here yet?
30:47Vicente, you're a forensic tech.
30:49Save her!
30:49Do something!
30:51Desmond pressed down on my chest like a madman,
30:54trying to start CPR.
30:56His hands,
30:57which had never wavered while holding a gun,
31:00were shaking so violently he couldn't even find his rhythm.
31:05Vicente collapsed beside him,
31:07his trembling fingers reaching for my carotid artery.
31:11Seconds later,
31:12he pulled his hand back as if he'd been electrocuted.
31:15His face turned white as a sheet.
31:18No,
31:19there's no pulse.
31:23IMPOSSIBLE!
31:25Desmond screamed.
31:26His eyes bloodshot as he shoved Vicente aside.
31:31She's too tough for this.
31:32She wouldn't just die.
31:35She's doing this to get back at me.
31:37She's faking it!
31:38Just then,
31:40the man in the black trench coat stepped forward from the shadows,
31:43Jalen Field,
31:44known as Lone Wolf.
31:45With a face like stone,
31:47he grabbed Desmond's wrist,
31:49his grip tight enough to crush bone.
31:50Captain Urich,
31:51Captain Urich,
31:51that's enough.
31:52Amelia was a special operative for national security.
31:55Her remains are a classified state secret.
31:58Your department has no jurisdiction here.
32:01He gave a sharp nod.
32:02Several armed agents stepped in,
32:04forcibly dragging Desmond away.
32:06They lifted the stretcher and moved out,
32:08swift and solemn,
32:09disappearing into the night.
32:11Let go of her!
32:13She's mine!
32:15Desmond thrashed like a wounded animal.
32:19Jalen stopped and looked back with pure contempt.
32:22He pulled a folder from his coat
32:24and slammed it hard against Desmond's chest.
32:26Take a good look, Captain Urich.
32:29This is the last bit of intel she sent back.
32:32The truth she bought with her life.
32:34The file burst open,
32:36spilling photos and a voice recorder across the floor.
32:39Desmond's hands shook as he reached for the pictures.
32:42In one,
32:43I was strapped to an electric chair.
32:46Drenched in blood,
32:47my jaw set in a silent, stubborn line.
32:50In another,
32:51Addison was perched on the drug lord's lap,
32:53laughing as she counted a thick stack of cash.
32:56Then,
32:57the recorder clicked on Addison's voice filled the room,
33:00sounding sickeningly sweet.
33:02Oh, Amelia is such a fool.
33:04I just play the victim for a minute,
33:06and Desmond falls for it every time.
33:10Once she's dead,
33:11I'll be the captain's wife for real.
33:13Desmond went still,
33:15his mind a total blank.
33:17Seeing the evidence,
33:18Addison shrieked and lunged for the recorder.
33:22It's a lie!
33:23It's all fake!
33:25Des,
33:26don't believe a word of it!
33:29The sound of the slap cracked through the hall like a gunshot.
33:33Desmond put everything he had into it,
33:35sending Addison spinning to the floor.
33:37Blood immediately began to leak from the corner of her mouth.
33:41His eyes were bloodshot as he closed in on her,
33:44his voice a low,
33:45deathly growl.
33:47It was you.
33:49You leaked the intel.
33:51You're the reason they caught her.
33:52You were the one crawling at the feet of a drug lord.
33:55Addison scrambled back in terror,
33:57only to hit Vicenti's legs.
33:59She grabbed onto him like a lifeline.
34:02Vic, help me!
34:03I still have your...
34:04But Vicenti kicked her away like she was trash,
34:07his face a mask of despair and self-loathing.
34:10Still acting, Addison?
34:12He pulled a crumpled medical report from his pocket
34:15and threw it at her.
34:16I already found out the truth.
34:18You drugged me that night!
34:21A wave of shocked whispers broke out across the room.
34:24Jalen watched the pathetic display with a cold,
34:27mocking curve to his lips.
34:29Amelia was right.
34:31You people really are disgusting.
34:34Move out!
34:35At his command,
34:36the agents lifted my body
34:37and walked away from that filthy place without looking back.
34:42Behind them,
34:44Desmond collapsed to his knees,
34:45his desperate wails drowned out by Addison's hysterical screams.
34:49Two years later,
34:51the air in the Chicago PD's criminal investigation division
34:54was so thick it was suffocating.
34:57Desmond was unshaven,
34:58his eyes sunken and hollow.
35:00The sharp, confident edge he once carried had long since vanished.
35:05For two years,
35:06he had lived like a madman.
35:08Every spare moment was spent at the border,
35:11hunting for any scrap of proof that I might still be alive.
35:14Even though the ashes Jalen sent back
35:17were already buried in the martyr's cemetery,
35:19he simply refused to believe I was gone.
35:24Captain Urich,
35:25an order just came in from state police headquarters.
35:28A young trainee handed him a file,
35:31his hands shaking slightly.
35:33Interpol is sending a special commissioner
35:34to help us with the recent cross-border trafficking case.
35:37Word is,
35:38this commissioner is the Reaper,
35:39the one everyone in the Golden Triangle is terrified of.
35:42Desmond rubbed his tired brow and took the file.
35:46Got it.
35:47Prepare a meeting room.
35:48His heart had died two years ago,
35:50buried right alongside those ashes at the funeral.
35:54Half an hour later,
35:56the conference room door swung open.
35:58The sharp,
35:59rhythmic click of high heels echoed through the room,
36:01bringing with it a cold, lethal energy.
36:04Allow me to introduce myself.
36:07I'm Catherine Barnard,
36:08the special commissioner from Interpol.
36:10The familiar voice hit Desmond and Vicente like a physical blow.
36:14They both snapped their heads up at once.
36:17Standing before them was a face that was as delicate and stunning as it was icy.
36:20She wore a tailored black trench coat,
36:23her blonde waves falling over her shoulders.
36:25Her lips a bold, fiery red.
36:28Her presence overwhelming.
36:29It was unmistakably the face of Amelia,
36:32the woman who had been dead for two years,
36:34but the light in her eyes had changed the steady,
36:37earnest look she once had was gone.
36:39Replaced by a cold mockery and an indifference born from someone who had seen it all and survived.
36:44The pen in Desmond's hand snapped in two with a sharp crack.
36:47He surged to his feet so quickly that his chair slammed into the floor behind him.
36:52Emmy?
36:52Is that you?
36:53You're alive?
36:54He stumbled toward her,
36:56reaching for her hand,
36:57but a firm,
36:58powerful grip blocked his way.
37:01Jalen,
37:01dressed in a sharp,
37:03tailored suit,
37:04stood between them with a faint,
37:06mocking smile.
37:07He casually slipped an arm around the woman's waist.
37:10Captain Urest,
37:11show some respect.
37:14This is my fiancée,
37:15and your commanding officer for this mission,
37:19Catherine.
37:21I casually removed my sunglasses to reveal eyes that were completely composed.
37:26I looked at Desmond with a flick of contempt,
37:28as if glancing at a stray dog by the side of the road.
37:31Captain Urent,
37:32I believe you have me mistaken for someone else.
37:34That fool, Amelia, died two years ago.
37:37Driven to her death by your own hands, wasn't she?
37:40Beside him,
37:40Vicente stumbled forward,
37:42his eyes bloodshot.
37:43Emmy, it really is you.
37:45I knew you hadn't died.
37:46That scar on your neck-
37:47I let a thin smile curl my lips
37:49as my fingers brushed the side of my neck.
37:51The skin was as smooth as silk.
37:53The scar had been surgically removed long ago.
37:56Mr. Doxue,
37:57if your eyesight is failing you,
37:58I suggest seeing an ophthalmologist.
38:00We are here discusses the case.
38:01If all you can offer is personal sentiment,
38:03then I don't think you deserve to be an officer anymore.
38:05My voice was as cold as ice,
38:07every word cutting through the room.
38:08Just then, the conference room door swung open again.
38:12A large German shepherd rushed in.
38:15It was Kale.
38:16It had aged significantly,
38:18and its coat had lost the luster it once had.
38:21Desmond lunged at this final straw,
38:24pointing at the dog and shouting,
38:26Kale is your dog!
38:27He'll recognize you!
38:28Dogs don't lie!
38:32When Kale saw me,
38:33it let out an excited whine,
38:35it moved to pounce.
38:37Every eye in the room fixed on the animal,
38:39a spark of hope ignited in Desmond's eyes.
38:42Kale charged toward me,
38:44its tail wagging like a propeller.
38:46Seeing that familiar expression made my heart skip a beat.
38:49But I kept my face a mask of indifference.
38:52The moment it went to leap at me,
38:54I stepped aside.
38:55My gaze sharpened instantly as I drew my sidearm.
38:58I leveled the barrel directly between its eyes.
39:01Where did this stray come from?
39:03What happened to security?
39:04One more step and I'll shoot it to death.
39:07As if sensing the cold lethality radiating from me,
39:10Kale slammed on the brakes.
39:12It skidded to a halt half a meter away.
39:15It tilted its head in confusion,
39:17a pitiful whine caught in its throat.
39:19But it didn't dare move any closer.
39:22It could still catch my scent.
39:23But it was now buried under the stench of gunpowder
39:26and years spent in the line of fire.
39:28The vibe of the gentle owner it once knew was gone.
39:31The light in Desmond's eyes vanished.
39:33He stared at me in disbelief.
39:37You would really kill it?
39:38This is Kale.
39:39You used to scrimp and save just to buy the best food for it.
39:42You nearly got hit by a car trying to save its life.
39:44I coldly holstered my gun,
39:46cutting off his sentimental rant.
39:48Captain Eurbert, I've told you don't know any Kale.
39:50In my world, any unpredictable variable is a threat.
39:53I turned toward Jalen,
39:54my voice softening.
39:56Jay,
39:57let's get the meeting started.
39:58I don't want to waste any more time on irrelevant people or their drama.
40:02In front of everyone,
40:03Jalen affectionately ruffled my hair.
40:05He pressed a kiss to my forehead.
40:07Of course, whatever you say.
40:09The rest of the meeting was nothing short of torture for Desmond and Vicenti.
40:13I laid out the operation plan with ruthless efficiency.
40:16Every order was precise and calculated.
40:19Completely overshadowing Desmond.
40:21The supposed team leader.
40:23They watched me speak with such confidence.
40:26A wave of familiarity and strangeness washing over them.
40:30The little girl who used to follow them around.
40:32Meekly calling them Day and Vic.
40:34She really had died that winter.
40:38After the meeting,
40:39I stood up to leave.
40:41Desmond blocked the door in desperation.
40:43His eyes bloodshot and his voice rasping.
40:45Emi,
40:46I went back through the old files.
40:48I know you took that undercover mission just to get away from us.
40:52These last two years,
40:54I've lived in regret every single day.
40:56I've been to countless therapy sessions
40:58because every time I close my eyes,
41:00I see you covered in blood.
41:02Adeline is in prison
41:03and Vicento has gotten what he deserved.
41:07Can you give me a chance to make things right?
41:09He reached out humbly,
41:11catching the hem of my coat.
41:13Even if you never forgive me,
41:15just let me watch over you from a distance.
41:18I stopped and turned.
41:19I looked down at the man I had once loved with all my heart.
41:23Now, he was just a pathetic loser.
41:26A cruel smile tugged at my lips.
41:28Make amends.
41:29Desmond, love that comes this late
41:32is worth less than the dirt under my shoes.
41:35When I was being injected with hallucinatics in that dungeon,
41:38in so much pain,
41:40I wanted to bash my head against the wall to end it.
41:43You were taking Addison to her prenatal checkups
41:46when I was being stepped on by a drug lord.
41:49My ribs breaking as I defended the dignity of my badge.
41:52You were celebrating Addison's birthday.
41:57And now you want to talk about making amends?
42:01I crowded into his space.
42:03Step by step, my gaze was sharp.
42:06You want to atone?
42:08Fine.
42:09Then die.
42:12The only way I'll ever believe you're sorry
42:14is if you're dead.
42:16Desmond staggered,
42:17his face turning ashen
42:19as the life seemed to drain right out of him.
42:21I didn't give him another glance,
42:23slipping my arm through Jalen's.
42:25I strode out of the police station.
42:27Outside, the sunlight was blinding.
42:30Jalen opened the car door for me.
42:33Did your heart soften just now?
42:35I stared at the figure kneeling
42:37and weeping in the rearview mirror.
42:39I shook my head gently.
42:42My heart died a long time ago.
42:45There is nothing left to soften.
42:47Let's go, Jay.
42:48We still have missions waiting for us at the border.
42:51The car roared to life and sped away.
42:53A week later, during an arrest,
42:56Desmond threw himself recklessly
42:58in front of a rookie officer to protect them.
43:00He was shot five times and died on the spot.
43:02When his belongings were sorted,
43:04a blood-soaked photograph was found in his pocket.
43:07The only picture of him and me
43:08taken on the day we graduated from the police academy.
43:12As for Vicenti, he never married.
43:14He stayed in that empty dormitory courtyard
43:17with the aging Kale.
43:18Living out the rest of his days in a haze of madness.
43:22But none of that mattered to me anymore.
43:24I was Catherine.
43:26And I was Amelia, who had been reborn.
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