“Come on, you're a top intelligence officer. You've seen the worst."

Hyatt took a noncommittal sip of his tea.

“You aren't planning to tell her your true identity, are you?"

Carlow poured himself some more tea, enjoying a sip.

"It isn't time yet," Hyatt said.

Hyatt stood tall. "Carlow, the higher-ups gave you a new ID to blend in. We'll handle the next jobs, so please just take a step back."

Putting his cup down, Carlow grinned. “Thank you, but am I not already blending in?"

He was the very Barlow who, in the eyes of the world, was supposed to be dead, after all.

After having been rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, Blair, his handler, had placed his people there.

He had been clinging to life by a thread. It was sheer luck that he had been snatched back from death's door and saved.

Blair had then decided he needed to vanish completely and he did this by faking his death.

In a secret operation, he was sent abroad, underwent minor facial adjustments by a surgeon, and was then assigned a new name and identity.

He was no longer the police informant Barlow. Now, he was just Carlow.

“So when are you going to finally tell Miss Glyn?" Hyatt asked.

Carlow grinned. "It's better this way, isn't it? I'll woo her as Carlow."

Hyatt smirked. "Isn't she still pining for the old you, though?"

Carlow smirked back as he played with his cup. “I'll show her she's fickle."

Hyatt chuckled. "You're a wicked one, Carlow."

"It's fun, isn't it?"

"No, that's some twisted humor."