Chapter 39 - Luca RomanoI realized my mistake the moment after I make it. I feel a sense of dread creeping upon me. I might as well have simply confessed that the name she professed was true. I know that there is a tendency that she doesn't exactly know, that she is not sure yet and simply tries to sound sure so as to deceive me. How could I let such a simple tactic work on me, I think to myself in dismay, knowing that I've given her away nicely now.I should have known that this girl is an investigative journalist and that as such she has a lot of techniques. She already had a very good idea, I tell myself internally so as not to blame myself too much—a very, very good idea of who she is, so I can't exactly be the cause now, can I? I think to myself as I contemplate what else would have happened. When I think about it now, I wouldn't have said anything if not for the fact that she had been so accurate in her depiction of her, and for her to have the name like that, well then, most l
Chapter 40 - Luca Romano"I'll tell her the pure truth," I think to myself, but I know that it doesn't matter what I say—what really matters is how I say it. So I get my information across as tactfully as I can manage, hoping that I wouldn't come off as a traitor."The girl I'm involved with, well, I was involved with," I start out, typing another message. "She knows that someone is trying to kill me. I continue, and she's an investigative journalist. I had... After my first encounter with you, I told her about it in one of our meetings," I say simply, because I'm not about to completely deny my involvement, tell her that somehow Vanessa just wants to look into her for no reason at all. I need to let her know exactly what's going on no matter what. And if it means taking some of the blame, then I would do it."She is very good, and I think you might be in danger, so I decided to warn you. I've told her to stop, but she just wouldn't listen," I finish before waiting patiently for a res
Chapter 1: Kira RojasThe city is pushing me away, and I don't resist. After what I've done, maybe I deserve the cold winds and judgmental skyline. It's trying to push me off the rooftop of the tall building I'm sitting on and I can't blame it either.I don't deserve to be alive. I've just killed five people without any hesitation. The worst part is I don't feel sorry—I've long gone past that stage. I've trained to take life without hesitation, without question. But if I feel anything at all, it's disgust—aimed squarely at myself.I think of the looks on their faces as I carried out the deed. It's my job to kill—efficiently, emotionlessly—but tonight, I can't escape their faces. The mother’s face twisted in agony, her beauty shattered in the instant my blade pierced her gut, the dad, angry and rushing to help in vain, and the children screaming in agony as I ended the parents first.They did their best, but it wasn't any match for my expertise. I left no survivors, no traces. Yet part
# Chapter 2: Kira RojasI wake up drenched in sweat, disoriented and struggling to gather my thoughts. Something's different, wrong! The air smells a little perfumy, and my body is a little sticky. I look beside me, and upon seeing the man there, I know exactly what happened. It all comes flooding back to me even more when I notice I'm completely without clothes, and so is he.Blushing slightly, I slip back into my clothes, cursing myself for letting my guard down. I'm not supposed to get involved with anybody. Emotions make me vulnerable, something I can’t afford in my line of work. Attachment—physical or emotional—is a luxury I can't afford.Oh, it's still night, I think after take my phone from my pocket and realize that it's just 3 a.m. Good news since it means I can get away unnoticed without having anything else to do with him.I chastise myself for letting things go so far with someone whose name I don’t even know. I clean myself up without touching him at all, making sure he d
Chapter ThreeLuca RomanoThe stranger girl doesn't even give me her name. All I have is her beautiful smile, and somehow, it lingers in my mind for days. I don't know why I feel this pull towards her. It doesn't make sense. I mean, I'm an extrovert, but even I wouldn't just randomly connect with someone at a club like that. There is something different about her, something meaningful. Even now, more than two weeks after the encounter, I keep getting flashbacks. Her skin, soft and delicate, contrasting with her pretty eyes that have a certain She’s stunning, even more so in ways I can’t explain. I’d been with plenty of women. That’s what my life is supposed to be—freedom, indulgence, the perks of a wealthy family. But this... it’s different with her.I walk into the room from my office feeling drained. It's evening and 10 o'clock already. Not exactly the time I am supposed to be coming home from work, but it is what it is. I flop down and lounge on my bed, scrolling through my phone
Chapter 4Luca RomanoI don't know why she required my help to escape when she pretty much did it all on her own. I'd simply given her a rope to slither down the window of my room and the moment after, she'd disappeared. There was no single trace of her at all. Like it was a dream and she'd never been here. Even the guards were confused when they came.The chaos of last night won’t leave my mind. Even here, in my office, it clings like a stubborn shadow. How close I had come to meeting my maker. But for some reason, she'd spared me, leaving me with an unsettled. The feeling's like an invisible thread tethering us, pulling me in despite my better judgment. I look at the files in front of me, not surprised at how my eyes glaze when I try to read them. I can't string the words together anymore. And I know that forcing myself would only lead to me making crap decisions about the company I've worked so hard to build.I'm distracted. But I need an even bigger distraction if I'm going to fi
Chapter 5Vanessa HollowayWhen I got his text, my heart skipped a beat. How long had it been? A month? A year? I checked his last text and found, to my surprise, that it had been only a week. I sighed, realizing that I was still pining over him. He's the most amazing person, but it's frustrating that he only calls me when he needs me. His actions denote he doesn't want anything deeper than our erotic encounters, but I'm hopeful that I'll be able to win him over with time.I had gotten ready in my usual professional journalist attire, but with something beneath in preparation for our encounter: a jacket to go with the otherwise revealing blouse and my pretty jean skirt. It didn't take me long to get to his company, but the minutes wound slowly when he didn't show immediately.I was, however, glad to be in his car, already turned on by his apology and the possibilities before us. Currently, I'm in a hotel room with him, unbuttoning my dress sensually. There's soft music in the backgrou
Chapter 6 Kira I make my way back home after deciding not to carry out the mission. I spend the next couple of days hooked up inside, not wanting to see anybody and not wanting to be disturbed. Luckily, no one comes to disturb me, and I am able to completely collect my thoughts. I have an idea of what is going next. If Dante finds out that I didn't carry out my mission, there will be trouble for me. Even now, sitting on a rooftop in the dead of the night, I find myself contemplating why I haven't done it. My life has been smooth sailing for a very long time now. And as long as I complete each mission, I'm able to continue living to the fullest, enjoying freedom and independence. But now, by not ending him, I have completely fouled things up. I keep uncomfortably feeling someone approaching me. I don't ask who he is, though, because I already know who it is. "How long are you going to keep hiding away?" he questions. I glare at him at the way he suddenly arrives and starts q
Chapter 40 - Luca Romano"I'll tell her the pure truth," I think to myself, but I know that it doesn't matter what I say—what really matters is how I say it. So I get my information across as tactfully as I can manage, hoping that I wouldn't come off as a traitor."The girl I'm involved with, well, I was involved with," I start out, typing another message. "She knows that someone is trying to kill me. I continue, and she's an investigative journalist. I had... After my first encounter with you, I told her about it in one of our meetings," I say simply, because I'm not about to completely deny my involvement, tell her that somehow Vanessa just wants to look into her for no reason at all. I need to let her know exactly what's going on no matter what. And if it means taking some of the blame, then I would do it."She is very good, and I think you might be in danger, so I decided to warn you. I've told her to stop, but she just wouldn't listen," I finish before waiting patiently for a res
Chapter 39 - Luca RomanoI realized my mistake the moment after I make it. I feel a sense of dread creeping upon me. I might as well have simply confessed that the name she professed was true. I know that there is a tendency that she doesn't exactly know, that she is not sure yet and simply tries to sound sure so as to deceive me. How could I let such a simple tactic work on me, I think to myself in dismay, knowing that I've given her away nicely now.I should have known that this girl is an investigative journalist and that as such she has a lot of techniques. She already had a very good idea, I tell myself internally so as not to blame myself too much—a very, very good idea of who she is, so I can't exactly be the cause now, can I? I think to myself as I contemplate what else would have happened. When I think about it now, I wouldn't have said anything if not for the fact that she had been so accurate in her depiction of her, and for her to have the name like that, well then, most l
Chapter 38 - Luca RomanoNot wanting her to kill me herself is one thing, but it's another entirely to stop me from wanting to die. Somehow I feel lighter and happy, at least just at the thought of seeing her again. After the conversation with her, I don't feel that heavy feeling in my soul anymore. I feel refreshed, rejuvenated, and ready to continue living, pushing forward.Sure, my sister might be already poised to take everything that I own by birthright, but it doesn't mean she has to get it so easily. The odds are still in my favor even though everything is probably already set. I'm not going to waste my opportunity. I'm going to do my best and get my ultimate goal. Of course, I know that there are a lot of chances of me failing, like the last failure, and the consequences might be dire, especially to the men that work with me, but I'm willing to take that risk. I'm willing to continue fighting and acting according to plan in order to bring my future to reality and take hold of
Chapter 37 - Kira RogersI don't expect to find a depressed Luca Romano this time around. I heartfully kidnap him and Serge Vang, succeeding in my mission because, well, it is somehow getting easier and easier. Either he is getting more careless, or I'm getting more used to maneuvering his security personnel, who don't seem to be skilled in the art of protecting him at all. They don't even do their jobs right, I think to myself, shaking my head as I bring him over to a valley.I think it's nice to talk with him one last time in such a scenario before taking him out, but unfortunately, he somehow has suicidal tendencies at the moment. I feel completely shocked by the words that he says, and somehow my will to kill goes away. He seems to not want to kill himself but rather have me do it. I wouldn't have had any problems with that previously, but I'm not about to be used as his tool to get what he wants. At the same time, I just somehow feel a little apprehensive.So I decide not to kill
Chapter 36 Luca Romano She doesn't look like she's joking this time around as she points the gun straight to my head—clear indication that she's here to finish everything. I will consider myself blessed. At the field and the flowers around us, remembering how the lights at the end of the tunnel had looked a moment before we got here, I find myself smiling even more. She frowns at me, but the joy can't leave me at the moment."Well, at least you are very thoughtful," I tell her, nodding in appreciation."Thoughtful?" she says, glaring at me. "What do you mean?""It's a wonderful place to die now, don't you think?" I question.She looks around and seems to consider it. "Well, not the worst place," she says. "Better than my bedroom.""Definitely better," I say, recalling how I had almost died that day right in my bed where I'm supposed to be safest."What's up with you?" she questions, frowning apprehensively. Her gun lowers ever so slightly, but that's not what I want at the moment."
Chapter 35Luca Romano. Yet another day at my office, but this time around I'm feeling drained and tired of everything in general. Somehow my life seems to have turned upside down all of a sudden, and there doesn't seem to be anything looking up at all. My sister is diligently working hard to take my place, and I've been trying to compete with her—something that was not supposed to even be a competition in the first place.What's more, I'm failing badly in my task because, well, the last attack didn't go so well. It's all my fault, I think to myself, as I recall how the men died then, for no just reason at all. As I think more about it, simply reminiscing about how it all fell through makes me feel overwhelming guilt. That day, just three days ago, I lost about 20 of the men assigned to me, and there was hardly any result at all. We were supposed to raid their hideout, but as it happened, we didn't have the right location.I remember telling them that it's not time yet, wanting us al
Chapter 34 Kira RogersHere we are, just the next open days—a series of missions and training sprinkled with the joy I get from talking with Luca. He is easily now one of the greatest people in my life, definitely closer to me than Xavier. But then again, Xavier is not really a friend in the truest sense; we've never connected in any way that I have with Luca, and definitely never had sex with each other, keeping our relationship as platonic as possible.I'm glad that Dante hasn't ordered me to go after Luca's life anymore, but it's a little unsettling. It's not like him to let someone off the hook, especially since I know that there's no reason for him to attack anymore. I'm actually very surprised to see that there is some tension in the crypt now. There aren't only criminal organizations around, and there are a lot of thugs around, but suddenly things seem to be getting intense both between the various gangs and also in the Shadowfang organization."What's going on?" I question Na
Chapter 33Kira RogersMy last encounter with Luca is not in the shuttle. Surprising. I don't know how things escalated to such a level, but I find myself smiling as I drive by. I drive back with my bike, feeling a light feeling within me. He has taken my number; somehow that makes me completely happy. I feel as though our talks are going to be interesting, and I can't wait for him to send me a message.It doesn't take up to five minutes before he says something: "Hello, Dearest." I wonder at the name he is calling me, but I don't complain. If anything, my heart is beating fast already, just from his words alone. I respond to him before putting my phone away—safety first. I would drive back before I talk with him.I quickly get back to the crypt and make my way to my apartment. Usually, I have other things to do, but I already know that he feels like talking, so I want to talk as long as possible. "I'm still stranded," he says. "I'm waiting for my driver to come and pick me up." "How
Chapter 32Vanessa Holloway.I don't expect that he would actually have her name by this time. The way he got it makes me more annoyed because if indeed she told him directly, it means that they are talking and things between them might be more serious than I think.I just want to quarrel with him, but he doesn't want to give me a name. "Well, it's fine," I tell myself when I speak with him calmly, deciding that one way or another, I would get that piece of information all on my own. I feel very mad at him though, but I don't show it. He's dead set, deciding to leave him to himself. If he thinks that what he's doing is going to end up well, he should continue. Meanwhile, I'm not stopping at anything. I made sure to let him know that exactly before I left.Before long, I'm in a bus heading for my office. I'm going to check through a lot of files now, and I'm going to put in all my effort and make a lot of phone calls. Above all, I need to really find out her name because it's a critica