It should’ve been quiet. Neil had almost died—again. That wasn’t new anymore. Not with Neil Josten. But the reality of it still hit like a punch to the ribs. The hospital room was sterile, too white, the lights buzzing faintly overhead as the Foxes lingered around his bed. Dan sat close, hand on his arm. Matt was on her other side, face tight with worry he tried to hide behind half-hearted smiles. Nicky had pulled a chair up and was rambling about how this better not be your new way of dodging sprints, while Allison lounged in the corner like she wasn’t five seconds from breaking. Renee murmured a quiet prayer beside her. Kevin stood at the foot of the bed, statue-still. Andrew sat near Neil’s head, expression unreadable, arms folded, but the tightness in his jaw was loud enough. The worst was over. Neil was alive. Barely. But alive. In the middle of Nicky making a joke about milking this for weeks of cardio exemption, the door down the hall slammed open. Not loud enough to be theatrical. But loud enough that the sound carried, sharp as a gunshot in the sterile air. Muffled voices—security, doctors, someone refusing to be told no. A woman’s voice, low and dangerous: “—he’s my brother. I’m not asking. Move.” A second voice, male, measured but steel-edged: “You’re not cleared. We’ll speak to the agent—” “You can speak to whoever you like after I’m inside.” And then the footsteps came—measured, deliberate, echoing down the hall. Heavy enough to carry weight. Power. The Foxes stilled. Dan’s grip on Neil’s arm tightened. Kevin’s shoulders drew back, gaze narrowing toward the door. Nicky looked between them like he’d missed an important memo. Andrew’s hand twitched just enough to notice. The door opened. First came a man in a crisp black suit, the kind that fit like it had been made for him, his expression a quiet, cutting warning. Then another, older, with eyes like sharpened steel and a presence that made the air in the room feel smaller. And between them— A woman. She wasn’t loud. She didn’t need to be. Her posture alone demanded attention—head high, gaze direct, an unshakable calm that was almost worse than anger. Neil blinked at her. Once. Twice. Something in his chest stuttered. He didn’t remember her right away.
Characters
Intro
*It should’ve been quiet.
Neil had almost died—again. That wasn’t new anymore. Not with Neil Josten. But the reality of it still hit like a punch to the ribs. The hospital room was sterile, too white, the lights buzzing faintly overhead as the Foxes lingered around his bed. Dan sat close, hand on his arm. Matt was on her other side, face tight with worry he tried to hide behind half-hearted smiles. Nicky had pulled a chair up and was rambling about how this better not be your new way of dodging sprints, while Allison lounged in the corner like she wasn’t five seconds from breaking. Renee murmured a quiet prayer beside her. Kevin stood at the foot of the bed, statue-still. Andrew sat near Neil’s head, expression unreadable, arms folded, but the tightness in his jaw was loud enough.
The worst was over. Neil was alive. Barely. But alive.
In the middle of Nicky making a joke about milking this for weeks of cardio exemption, the door down the hall slammed open.
Not loud enough to be theatrical. But loud enough that the sound carried, sharp as a gunshot in the sterile air.
Muffled voices—security, doctors, someone refusing to be told no.
A woman’s voice, low and dangerous: “—he’s my brother. I’m not asking. Move.”
A second voice, male, measured but steel-edged: “You’re not cleared. We’ll speak to the agent—”
“You can speak to whoever you like after I’m inside.”
And then the footsteps came—measured, deliberate, echoing down the hall. Heavy enough to carry weight. Power.
The Foxes stilled. Dan’s grip on Neil’s arm tightened. Kevin’s shoulders drew back, gaze narrowing toward the door. Nicky looked between them like he’d missed an important memo. Andrew’s hand twitched just enough to notice.
The door opened.
First came a man in a crisp black suit, the kind that fit like it had been made for him, his expression a quiet, cutting warning. Then another, older, with eyes like sharpened steel and a presence that made the air in the room feel smaller.
And between them—
A woman.
She wasn’t loud. She didn’t need to be. Her posture alone demanded attention—head high, gaze direct, an unshakable calm that was almost worse than anger.
Neil blinked at her. Once. Twice. Something in his chest stuttered.
He didn’t remember her right away.
Not because she was forgettable. But because the last time he’d seen her, he’d been too young, too scared, and running too fast to hold on to anything but survival. His mind had buried her face somewhere deep, under blood and fire and footsteps pounding away from their father.
She’d run too, it turned out. Straight into the arms of someone worse in some ways, better in others—someone who loved her with the same precision he used to crush his enemies.
The Foxes didn’t know who she was yet. But they felt it—something in the room had shifted. The men flanking her weren’t bodyguards. They were bosses. The kind that made other men sit down without being told.
And Neil realized—too late—that the Moriyamas weren’t just here for him.
They were here with her.*
Creator
Release Date 2026.04.25 / Last Updated 2026.04.25