The hum of The Towers never stopped. It was a constant buzz of life—people moving, deals being made, threats whispered in shadowed corners. But for Tisha, that hum felt louder today, more suffocating. The weight of Solomon's demands had been growing heavier, and she could feel the walls closing in on her, slowly but surely.

She had barely slept since the South Side job. Solomon had kept her on a tight leash, pushing her further into his world, testing her with more dangerous tasks. She had survived the last one by sheer luck, but she knew luck wouldn't last forever. And now, as she sat in the back of Solomon's office, listening to him lay out his latest plan, Tisha could feel the pressure building, like a vise tightening around her chest.

"You're one of the few I trust, Tish," Solomon said, pacing behind his desk. His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, a hint of something darker lurking beneath the surface. "But trust ain't permanent. It's something you gotta keep earning."

Tisha nodded, trying to keep her expression neutral, even though her heart was pounding. She knew what was coming. Solomon had been growing paranoid lately, hearing whispers of a mole in his operation. The South Side debacle hadn't helped—someone had tipped off Tyson's crew, and now Solomon was on edge, looking for anyone who might betray him.

"Word is, someone's been feeding information to the cops," Solomon continued, his gaze flicking toward Tisha. "I need you to help me find out who."

Tisha felt her stomach twist. She had known this was coming, but hearing it out loud made the weight of it all crash down on her. Solomon wasn't just testing her anymore—he was pulling her into the center of his paranoia, making her his eyes and ears. And if she didn't play her part perfectly, she knew what the consequences would be.

"I'll handle it," Tisha said, her voice steady even though her mind was spinning.

Solomon watched her for a long moment, as if weighing her words, deciding whether or not to believe her. Finally, he nodded. "Good. Start with Carlos. He's been acting strange lately. I want to know what he's up to."

Tisha's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Carlos. He had always been a wildcard, loyal to Solomon but quick to act on his own instincts. If Carlos was suspicious of her—or worse, if he had already figured out Imani's secret—then this whole thing could blow up in her face. But she couldn't show fear. Not now.

"I'll check him out," Tisha said, rising from her seat. "If he's dirty, I'll find out."

Solomon's expression softened slightly, though the intensity in his eyes never faded. "I knew I could count on you, Tish. Keep this quiet. I don't want anyone else knowing what you're doing."

Tisha nodded and turned to leave, her chest tightening with every step. She had just agreed to spy on one of Solomon's most dangerous men, all while keeping her growing doubts and her connection to Imani hidden.

As she stepped out into the hallway, the weight of Solomon's control settled over her like a thick fog. It was everywhere—following her, pressing down on her, making it impossible to breathe.

Imani had been spending more and more time on her own lately, trying to gather intel for Detective Hightower without drawing suspicion. But it was getting harder to focus on the mission, especially with Tisha in the mix. Every time she saw Tisha, the lines between the job and her feelings blurred even further.

She sat in her small, dingy apartment, staring at her burner phone, Hightower's number ready to dial. She hadn't given him much recently—bits and pieces of Solomon's operation, but nothing solid. Not yet. And she knew Hightower was getting impatient.

But how could she report on Solomon when every step she took deeper into this world made her feel more conflicted? She was supposed to be neutral, a professional. But after the kiss on the rooftop, neutrality had become impossible.

Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. It wasn't Hightower. It was Tisha.

"Meet me on the rooftop. Now."

Imani's chest tightened, her thumb hovering over the screen. She knew she couldn't avoid Tisha forever—not if she wanted to keep her cover intact—but after everything that had happened between them, meeting her now felt even more dangerous.

Still, she didn't hesitate. She grabbed her jacket and headed out into the night.

The rooftop was quiet when Imani arrived, the wind cool against her skin. Tisha was already there, standing near the edge, staring out at the distant lights of the city. Her posture was tense, and Imani could feel the storm brewing inside her.

Tisha didn't turn when Imani approached. She kept her eyes on the skyline, her voice low and strained. "Solomon's pushing me harder than ever. He wants me to spy on Carlos."

Imani's heart skipped a beat. This was bad. Very bad. If Solomon was paranoid enough to turn his own people against each other, things were spiraling faster than she had anticipated. And if Carlos was already suspicious of her, Solomon would be on her trail soon enough.

"He thinks there's a mole," Tisha continued, her voice heavy. "And if I don't find one, he's gonna start looking at me."

Imani swallowed hard, the weight of her own secrets pressing down on her. She knew what she had to do—gather intel, report to Hightower, bring Solomon down. But standing here with Tisha, hearing the fear and exhaustion in her voice, made it all feel more complicated.

"Are you gonna do it?" Imani asked, keeping her tone neutral.

Tisha finally turned to face her, her eyes dark and unreadable. "I don't have a choice."

Imani's chest tightened. "You always have a choice, Tish. You don't have to keep proving yourself to him."

Tisha shook her head, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "You don't get it. Solomon owns me. He's been in control of my life for so long, I don't even know who I am without him."

Imani took a step closer, her voice soft but firm. "You're more than that. You're stronger than that."

Tisha's gaze flickered, a hint of vulnerability breaking through the hardness in her expression. But then, just as quickly, she shut it down. "It doesn't matter. I'm in too deep."

The silence between them stretched, heavy with tension. Imani could feel the pull between them, that same electric charge that had been there since the beginning. But now, it felt more dangerous than ever.

Tisha took a deep breath, her eyes locking onto Imani's. "I need to know something, Imani. Can I trust you?"

Imani's heart raced, the weight of the question hanging in the air. She wanted to say yes. She wanted to believe that she could be the person Tisha needed, the person who wouldn't betray her. But the truth was, she was already betraying her. Every moment she spent here, every bit of intel she gathered, was a lie.

But she couldn't tell Tisha that. Not now.

"Of course," Imani said, her voice steady, even though her heart was pounding.

Tisha held her gaze for a long moment, searching her eyes for any sign of deception. Then, finally, she nodded, her shoulders sagging with exhaustion. "I don't know how much longer I can do this."

Imani stepped closer, her voice soft but firm. "You don't have to do it alone."

Tisha didn't respond. She just stared at Imani, the weight of everything pressing down on her, the lines between loyalty, survival, and betrayal blurring into something she couldn't untangle.

Imani felt the pull again, that magnetic force between them, but this time, she didn't give in to it. She couldn't. Not when the lies were piling up between them, threatening to crush whatever connection they had built.

Instead, she stood there, close but not touching, feeling the weight of Solomon's control pressing down on both of them.