Chapter 1 Clients And Targets

“Make sure everyone’s ready, I’m about to enter,” the woman said through her phone as she stepped into the Westfield Century Mall with droves of other shoppers.

Children running around as their parents struggle to rein them in, teenagers giggling about, and tourists looking around as if they’ve never seen a mall before. The perfect place to do anything without having to fear anyone observing.

“Oh, they are ready. Everyone is just waiting for you,” a honeyed voice answered. “See how we’re all working so well together? I don’t know why you would want to get out of this.”

The woman rolled her eyes at the false sweetness in the man’s tone. “Damien, I’ve already told you before I even joined this group. I’m not doing this permanently. So take whatever plans you have in that scheming head of yours and shove it up your ass,” she sharply replied.

The man groaned, pleasured by her boldness, “There’s the Eve that I love! I always wonder why you just don’t say yes to being my woman. We’re like a match made in heaven, or hell if you prefer.”

“Dream on, Damien.” The woman sneered while scanning the stores and quickly saw a man by himself peeking at a coffee shop. “The guy’s here, gotta go.” With that, she dumped the phone inside her bag without waiting for Damien’s retort. God knows that man had more disgusting things to say.

She fixed the brunette wig that was hiding her natural copper hair. “Let’s get this over with,” Eve told herself as she began walking towards her target. Her loose and casual clothes added to her intentionally slouched posture making it so she could easily blend with the crowd. Her makeup shaped her face to be simply overlooked. Just the way she liked it.

But it seemed like fate didn’t agree with her. “Nice day for a cup of coffee, huh?” A man who was heading in the same direction said. He offered, “Why don’t I get us both some then sit somewhere quieter? My treat.”

“Great, exactly what I need right now, a distraction,” Eve bitterly thought. She answered flatly, “I usually don’t get the first item that shows up when I go to a mall. Try somewhere else.” Eve then gave him the most pleasant smile.

It took a few seconds for her reply to register in his head since he couldn’t believe it. A plain-looking woman rejecting him, a charming guy? His face contorted into disgust and he suddenly walked away. But not before uttering, “Bitch.”

Eve chuckled and continued on her way, using a whole crowd to get closer to her target.

The guy, Carter Sheen, had his slanted eyes and furrowed brows focused on his phone. Every now and then, he would look up as if waiting for a certain someone.

Unfortunately for him, that certain person would never show up. Eve scoffed. Gone was the overconfident man who flaunted his money and influence however he wanted. The man who was out to prove to himself and to everyone that he was the top dog just because he was the mayor’s son.

Eve was now a foot away from Carter. He still didn’t pay attention to his surroundings even as people from all directions kept bumping into him. The woman then used her quick and slender hands to reach for the wallet in his back pocket, take out his cards, and put the wallet back again. All while looking just like a regular person admiring the shop’s decorations. As always, no one saw her criminal actions, including the security cameras.

Just as Carter raised his head, the woman was already gone.

Eve strolled towards the farthest side of the mall where a few benches and tables were planted. She plopped her bag on the table while using her other hand under the table to pass the cards to the person in front of her.

A man with a laptop took the cards but didn’t regard her. Instead, they talked under their breath without looking at each other. From afar, they looked like strangers only sharing public space.

“This will take around 3 to 5 minutes. You sure he won’t get suspicious?” The man asked.

“Take your time. He’ll be busy burning his eyes staring at his phone anyway,” Eve replied.

Her phone vibrated. It was Carter asking where she was. Eve sighed. She had only scammed the college guy for two weeks but she quickly got tired of him because of how clingy he was. All she did was set up a believable account on dating apps and social media with a whole different disguise. Then from there, it was easy sailing.

Instead of answering his calls, Eve dialed her client.

“Hello? Were you able to do it? This quickly?” A quiet voice shyly asked, not bothering to hide her shock. It was Sheen’s long-term ex-girlfriend who he cheated on several times. It was ironic how a soft-spoken woman could be so resentful as to pay a con artist to exact revenge on her behalf.

“Well, he’s about to lose more than 75 grand. I’ll send you some of that later as per the agreement. But don’t worry, it won’t be traced,” Eve assured her. It may have not been much considering how affluent Carter’s political family was but his parents surely won’t let it go. Besides, what her client wanted was something else.

“Thanks. Uhm, but what about the other one?”

Total heartbreak. This was Eve’s main task.

The con woman replied with pride. “You’ve seen the conversations. I’ll forward the files of the rest of his messages. From the looks of it, he is hopelessly in love with a fake persona who he’ll never be able to see or hear from ever again. He’s actually still waiting for a ghost to show up. I’d say you got more than what you asked for.”

The other line was silent when Eve thought her client should’ve been celebrating.

Then, the girl spoke with trepidation, “I-I did the right thing. He deserves it, r-right? If he was a better man, this wouldn’t have happened…”

Eve huffed, “Look, I’m not going to comfort you and tell you that this is justified. I don’t care if you regret it or not. But it’s already done. Live with it.” Harsh words, but the sooner her client realized it, the better.

Around this point, clients usually begin to ponder their actions and think about the morality of it all. Whether what they did was good or evil. But that was for them to deal with. They should have known from the start that revenge was a double-edged sword.

“Play stupid games, win stupid prizes,” as her brother always told her.

Her client tried to counter, “But-”

“No buts,” Eve cut her off. “I finished what you paid me to do. Well and fast, if I may add. Now, if you don’t have any other jobs you want done, this will also be the last time you will hear from me.”

The girl didn’t answer but Eve could hear her sniffing on the other line. The man with the laptop mouthed, “Done.”

Eve nodded and said to the girl, “Well then, goodbye.”

“Sheesh, thank goodness I’ll never be one of your clients,” her cohort said as he returned the cards the same way they did earlier.

Eve shrugged her shoulders and finally looked eye-to-eye with her cohort. “Hugh, in our line of work, it’s never worth being sympathetic towards our clients and targets.”

She tugged her right ear and slowly, a couple checking out stores approached the table. They nonchalantly took the cards and went to the coffee shop Carter was in where they placed his cards back like they were never taken out in the first place.

Eve told Hugh, “Time to go home.” She never looked back at the mall where the man she had fooled was expecting the love of his life.

That’s what made Evangeline, or Eve to some, Laendler an ace swindler among the rogue community. For years, she had been sought after by everyone for any con job. Her ability to read most people and make herself look like a different person bolstered her reputation. It came to a point where no one knew what she actually looked like and could only contact her through her associates.

Evangeline’s drive back home was quiet and short since the mall was only a few blocks away from her studio apartment. She chose to ignore any more messages from Damien since all he would be spouting was for her not to leave.

Sluggishly, she unlocked her room. The only thing that welcomed her in that unlit and cold space was a succulent plant that was threatening to wilt due to lack of care.

She sighed to no one in particular, “Home, sweet home.”

It was a long process, taking off her disguise, peeling off any artificial additions that she placed on her face and body, and erasing the makeup that hid her freckled and creamy complexion.

Evangeline stared at herself in the mirror after taking out her contact lenses. Her mossy green eyes gazed at her gracile form. Her wavy copper hair hang back. She cursed at it every day of her life ever since kids teased her for it starting at a young age. God knows she tried to do something about it. But after several failed attempts of changing it, Evangeline accepted and in fact learned to love being a ginger.

As for her face, it resembled more her dad’s than her mother’s. Well, that’s what her brother always said since she didn’t remember what they looked like. The smooth, sculpted features made it easy for her to mold her face however she wanted. And Evangeline wasn’t that humble to deny that she was pretty. She’d just rather people not comment about it.

After another exhausting day, Evangeline sat on her bed and leaned on the headboard. She then took out her laptop and played the first video from what seemed like a series. This had been her routine for a few years now.

It began with a man with a gaunt face but a cheerful expression saying, “Hey, Evie. Tsk, since you’re watching this, it must mean I didn’t make it.” Behind him was a hospital bed and medical machinery beeping in sync. Despite his lifeless background, his smile was able to brighten Evangeline’s day.

She bit her quivering lower lip. It was her thousandth watch and still, the video had the same impact as the first time she saw it.

“And knowing you, I’m sure my passing would cause you to spiral. And I don’t want that for my baby sister. So here I am, recording this in hopes of helping you go on with your life. I know you find these things too dramatic and cringe but I hope you still watch them.”

Evangeline couldn’t help but smile faintly, remembering how bright her brother’s personality was. How he was able to turn any negative thing upside down, for her and everyone else. But now, all she has of him were these videos that he left.

But the phone’s incessant vibrating pulled her from the moment. Groaning, Evangeline gave up and answered Damien’s nth call.

“What?” She spat.

“I know, I know. You said that you’re done with this. But I thought you might want to hear about this new job,” Damien said without missing a beat.

“I’m sure whatever that is can be done by anyone in the group,” Evangeline replied, recounting in her head every member who could match her skills.

“No one can compare to the great Eve!” Damien insisted. “Plus, this very important target may be of interest to you.”

Evangeline scratched her head, feeling an incoming migraine. “Let me guess. Another cheating boyfriend or husband? Ambitious business partner? Rich people’s spoiled children?” ‘Very important’ could only mean a large sum of profit for Damien.

His tone was animated, “Better than those.” This seemed to really excite the man so that Evangeline could almost hear a genuine laugh.

“Just tell me, Damien.” Evangeline propped herself up to get a glass of water.

“Alright, alright,” the ring leader calmed himself down. “The target is August Hanley, the heir to the multi-billion company, Eden’s Mirage.”

Evangeline stopped in her tracks. “Say that again?”