Chapter 275: Nothing would remain the same !!
The bike cut through the streets of Paris like a blade slicing through water, fast, precise, and unpredictable, weaving between traffic before suddenly shifting course toward older roads where the presence of cameras thinned and the digital eyes of the city grew weaker.
Ghost and Marcel followed at a controlled distance, their car blending into the flow, neither too close to alert nor too far to lose sight.
Rainwater still lingered along the edges of the streets, reflecting the passing lights in broken fragments, while the city slowly gave way to quieter, less monitored zones.
Marcel kept both hands steady on the wheel, his eyes tracking the bike’s movement with growing curiosity.
"This man is clever," Marcel said, his voice low but impressed.
Ghost did not take his eyes off the target.
"He runs a nuclear energy facility," he replied calmly. "He is trained to think several steps ahead."
Marcel exhaled softly.
"But why would Nawwar target a plant here in Paris? There are hundreds of nuclear facilities across the world. This location feels... unusual."
Ghost’s gaze sharpened slightly as he answered.
"You did not hear the recent directive," he said. "The French government has already ordered the decommission of this plant. The city expanded over time and now the facility sits too close to urban limits. Two new plants were built last year in more remote locations."
Marcel glanced at him briefly.
"So they are shutting it down."
"Not immediately," Ghost continued. "Decommissioning is a long process that can take years. But the first stage is critical."
Marcel frowned slightly.
"The fuel."
Ghost nodded faintly.
"The excess nuclear fuel will be transported out first, and that operation is classified at the highest level. Even Gabriel will not know the exact timing or route."
Marcel’s grip tightened slightly on the steering wheel.
"But if the fuel is still inside the plant, why not bribe Gabriel and take control from within?"
Ghost’s eyes remained fixed ahead.
"Why would Gabriel turn now after so many years?" he asked. "He has no family, no spouse, no attachments. He built his entire life around his work. There is nothing obvious for him to gain or lose."
Marcel exhaled.
"Then we are missing something."
Ghost’s voice lowered slightly.
"We will find out."
Ahead, the bike suddenly shifted direction again, cutting back toward the city.
Marcel frowned.
"He is turning back."
Ghost nodded.
"We are close to his residential zone."
The bike began taking rapid turns, navigating through tight streets and controlled intersections, almost as if testing whether it was being followed.
Marcel leaned slightly forward.
"Where the hell is he going?"
Ghost’s eyes followed the pattern carefully.
"He is heading toward a controlled property."
The answer came seconds later.
The bike turned sharply and entered the parking area of a large shopping complex.
Marcel blinked once.
"A shopping complex?"
Ghost’s gaze hardened.
"Follow him. Now."
Marcel accelerated slightly, guiding the car into the same entrance.
The ramp descended.
Level minus one.
Then deeper.
Level minus two.
The bike continued ahead, its tail light flickering in the dim underground lighting.
And then it went further.
Toward level minus three.
But before they could follow, a barrier came into view.
Security presence.
Restricted access.
Marcel slowed, but it was too late to avoid attention.
The car rolled to a stop.
A security guard approached quickly.
Marcel rolled down the window with a casual expression.
"Sorry sir," the guard said politely but firmly. "That level is restricted to administrative staff only."
Marcel gave a small, apologetic smile.
"Ah, I see. My mistake. I did not know."
He nodded lightly.
"We are turning back."
The guard stepped aside.
Marcel reversed the car smoothly, guiding it back toward level minus two before parking in a quiet corner.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Marcel exhaled slowly.
"That was close."
Ghost’s eyes remained focused, his mind already reconstructing the path they had just witnessed.
"You got it, right?"
Marcel nodded immediately.
"Yes, Lead."
His voice carried certainty now.
"There is a tunnel. Underground access. It connects this complex to the forest estate."
Ghost leaned back slightly, his expression thoughtful but sharp.
"That explains everything."
Marcel continued.
"This entire complex is owned by the same industrialist who owns the forest estate."
Ghost nodded once.
"A perfect hidden route. No exposure. No surveillance from the outside world."
He paused briefly, then gave the next instruction.
"Hack the CCTV system. I want every frame from that entrance of the restricted level. Every entry, every exit. I want to know who has access to that administrative route."
Marcel pulled out his phone immediately.
"Already on it."
He typed a quick message and sent it.
"We will have the footage by evening."
Ghost looked ahead, his voice quieter now, carrying a trace of something deeper.
"I hope Gabriel has not sold himself."
The words lingered.
Heavy.
Measured.
"The decommission process officially begins in five days," Ghost continued. "And that is exactly how much time we have to stop whatever is coming."
Marcel glanced at him briefly.
"Your mission in Paris... it is nearing its end then."
Ghost’s gaze remained distant, fixed somewhere beyond the concrete walls, beyond the city, beyond the present moment.
"Yes," he said calmly.
"It is."
....
Evening settled gently over Paris, and the soft glow of streetlights reflected across rain washed pavements, giving the streets a quiet warmth that felt almost detached from the dangers hiding beneath the surface of the city.
Inside Leo’s café, the atmosphere was calm and lively at the same time, with the faint aroma of roasted coffee beans blending with the sweetness of baked goods, creating a comforting space that felt far removed from the world Ghost truly belonged to.
Chloe leaned forward slightly, her elbows resting on the table as her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"So you are saying you practiced lots of languages, and you can speak more than ten languages, and that is why your French is very good?"
Ghost nodded calmly.
"Yes."
Chloe blinked once, then leaned back, folding her arms with a playful expression.
"That is not practicing, that is training," she said with a small laugh. "What were you preparing for, an apocalypse?"
Ghost allowed a faint smile to appear on his face.
"Maybe."
Chloe chuckled softly, shaking her head in disbelief.
Without asking, she reached forward and grabbed his coffee cup.
"Let me try this."
She took a sip.
For a brief second, her expression remained neutral.
Then her face twisted instantly.
She coughed, placing the cup back on the table quickly.
"Seriously?" she exclaimed, grabbing her own drink immediately and taking a sip to wash away the bitterness. "How do you even drink this? It is so bitter."
Ghost chuckled quietly, watching her reaction.
"I do not know," he said calmly. "It is a habit."
Chloe shook her head, still recovering.
"I do not know if that is a good habit or a bad one."
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Simple.
Light.
But then something shifted.
A subtle tension.
A quiet disturbance.
Ghost’s senses sharpened instantly.
His gaze moved across the café, scanning without appearing obvious, his posture unchanged but his awareness heightened to its peak.
Chloe noticed the shift immediately.
"What is it?"
Ghost shook his head slightly.
"Nothing."
Chloe narrowed her eyes, then smiled faintly.
"You are strange today, you know that?"
He gave a small smile in return.
Chloe leaned forward again, changing the topic.
"So, have you been to the tower yet?"
Ghost looked at her.
"The Eiffel Tower? No, I did not get a chance."
Her eyes lit up instantly.
"Then we should go," she said. "This weekend. Are you free?"
Ghost paused.
Something inside him tightened.
He had been thinking about this moment.
About telling her.
About the truth.
Or at least a part of it, that he has to leave soon.
"Actually," he began slowly, his voice quieter than before, "I wanted to tell you something."
Chloe leaned in slightly, attentive.
"Yes, I am listening."
Ghost hesitated.
The words felt heavier than any weapon he had ever held.
His mind raced through possibilities, through consequences, through the fragile smile she carries.
He exhaled quietly.
"Never mind."
Chloe blinked, clearly caught off guard.
"What?" she said, frowning slightly. "You got me curious for nothing. You are bad."
Ghost smiled faintly, but there was something distant in his eyes now.
Before she could press further, her phone rang.
She glanced at the screen and answered immediately.
"Yes, Dad?"
Her expression shifted slightly.
"Okay... what? It is here already? Alright, I am coming."
She ended the call and looked at him.
"I have to go. Dad sent a car."
Ghost nodded.
"Oh... alright."
He stood up with her, settling the bill quickly while Leo’s mother watched them with a soft, knowing smile that neither of them noticed.
They stepped outside together.
Ghost walked beside her, but his senses remained alert.
That feeling had not left.
Someone was watching.
He turned his head slightly, scanning the street behind them, the rooftops, the reflections in glass windows.
Nothing.
And yet something was there.
Chloe noticed again.
"You are really acting weird today. Are you okay?"
Ghost nodded.
"Yes. I am fine."
They reached the waiting car.
The driver stepped out respectfully.
"Miss Chloe. Your father is waiting."
She smiled lightly.
"Let us go, Uncle Mathéo."
She turned back to Ghost.
"See you, Kai."
He gave a small nod.
"See you."
She entered the car.
The door closed.
And the vehicle began to move.
Ghost’s eyes followed it.
Then something caught his attention.
Something that froze him instantly.
The license plate.
His pupils contracted sharply.
His breath stilled.
That number.
That exact number.
His mind replayed the surveillance footage in an instant.
The same car.
The same one that emerged from the forest estate.
From Gabriel’s hidden route.
A sudden realization struck him like a violent shockwave.
His heartbeat surged.
His thoughts collided.
No.
That is not possible.
Then Chloe is...
"She is Gabriel’s daughter."
The voice came from behind him.
Calm.
Measured.
Uninvited.
Ghost turned instantly, his body already shifting into readiness, every instinct screaming danger.
Behind him stood an old man.
He was dressed in a dark, well tailored coat, his silver hair neatly combed back, his posture straight despite his age, and his sharp eyes carried a depth that felt unsettlingly familiar, as if he saw more than he should.
There was a quiet authority in his presence, the kind that did not need to announce itself.
Ghost’s gaze locked onto him.
"You were the one watching us."
The old man smiled faintly.
"Nice to meet you," he said calmly. "My name is Louis Moreau. I am Gabriel’s father... and Chloe’s grandfather."
For a moment, the world around Ghost seemed to fall silent.
His mind went blank.
Then exploded.
Impossible.
Graveyard intelligence was absolute.
Verified.
Cross checked.
Gabriel Moreau had no family.
No father.
No daughter.
No attachments.
That was the entire reason he was considered incorruptible.
And yet...
Everything he believed shattered in that instant.
His fists clenched slightly.
His breathing deepened.
His eyes widened, not in fear, but in disbelief that cut far deeper.
The girl he had been protecting.
The girl he had fallen in love with.
The girl who brought warmth into a life built on shadows.
She was not just connected to the mission.
She was at the very center of it.
A surge of emotion hit him all at once.
Confusion.
Shock.
Anger.
And something far more dangerous.
Fear.
Not for himself.
But for her.
Because now...
She was no longer just Chloe.
She was the daughter of his target.
His voice came out lower, heavier than before.
"That is not possible."
Louis watched him carefully, his expression unreadable yet knowing.
"What?" the old man said slowly, a faint smile forming as his eyes studied Ghost with unsettling precision. "Did you see a ghost... or did.... I ....just see one?"
The calm of the evening had already been shattered.
And nothing would remain the same.
To be continued.