The Agency

Federal Marshal Victoria Stone lives by control. Years ago, a brutal betrayal shattered her rookie partnership, leaving her with a scar that runs deeper than skin.  Now, every precisely aimed shot, every meticulously planned operation is a shield against the vulnerability she fiercely represses.
Her latest witness protection assignment, Adrian Chase, is a disruption she doesn’t need. A former forensic accountant for the Salieri syndicate, Adrian’s secrets are as captivating as his steel-gray eyes. He’s a puzzle Victoria can’t solve, a threat to the fortress she’s built around her heart. He’s also unknowingly linked to the very organization that destroyed her past.
Adrian traded bespoke suits for anonymity, but Victoria’s guarded presence is a constant, electrifying challenge. He sees the cracks in her facade, the echoes of a pain he doesn’t yet understand.  Their forced proximity ignites an unexpected spark, a fragile trust forged in shared dangers and hurried meals.
When a coded message, signed with her dead partner’s initials, exposes a mole inside the Witness Protection Program, their world implodes.  Forced to flee into the unforgiving Ozark wilderness, they become fugitives, hunted by both the syndicate and a corrupt element within their own ranks. 
Their investigation uncovers a chilling truth: a shadowy organization known as “The Agency” is manipulating emotions, engineering relationships between marshals and witnesses through tailored pheromone releases. Love isn't a weakness; it's a weapon. And Victoria is the perfect target.
As Salieri’s enforcers close in, they must rely on each other, their skills a dangerous dance of survival. But the line between protector and protected blurs as a devastating connection to Victoria’s past is revealed: The Agency orchestrated her partner’s death to mold *her* into a controllable asset.
Trapped in a remote mountain lodge, a final, desperate stand against The Agency becomes a battle for their lives, their identities, and the fragile hope of a future free from manipulation.  Amidst the gunfire and betrayals, Victoria must confront the ghosts of her past and choose: trust the connection forged in manipulation or succumb to the fear that isolates her. Can their love become a beacon of authenticity in a world designed to exploit its vulnerability?