When Love Becomes the Target

Nora’s POV 

Dad rose to his feet, walking over to his liquor cabinet with his puppets hovering around him like fools.  

“You’ve got some guts now, and I love that,” he said, holding the glass of liquor Alaric had poured for him. “But guts don’t win—strategy and ruthlessness do,” he continued, sipping his liquor. 

“Then, you should be restless.” I said, rising to my feet and walking to where he was. I hijacked the glass of liquor from him and raised a toast before taking a sip. “Because, I have got both”.  

He giggled, trying his best to hide his anxiety, but no matter how hard he tried, I could see it in his eyes - how much he feared his empire crumbling.  

“Well, let’s see if you can survive all alone in the jungle” he scoffed, taking his glass of liquor back. “Cheers to the Tigress’ adventure” he raised the glass in my direction, like a silent and mocking toast.  

I rolled my eyes in disgust, walking back to my seat.  

“Enough of the chit-chat. Tell me why you called me here” I requested having had my seat, growing impatient.  

“Well, you have a new task” he announced, walking back to his seat and sliding the file that contained the information about my next target over to me.  

I grabbed the file, opened it and skimmed through my target’s information.  

“You are to take him down tomo ......”.  

“Why does he need to be dead?” I cut in, my eyes fixated on the photograph of the man staring back at me from the file.  

Dad leaned back on his chair, his unsettling smirk never leaving his face.  

“Since when do you ask questions Nora?” 

“Let’s say …..  starting from now. At least, I deserve to know why my victim has to die” I replied, my eyes never leaving the photograph. 

“Well then. Since you badly want to know why he must die, I will tell you the reason” he said, clearing his throat as if the words he was about saying next, carried some heavy weight. 

“He is a traitor. Do I need to say more?” he asked. 

No- he didn't have to explain any further. It was our rule - no traitor must be left alive because once a traitor, always a traitor. 

Apart from the rule, I personally hated the likes of traitors and I never hesitated to unalive them, just like I didn't have a rethink before gunning Lorenzo down. 

“Then, he is a dead man. He must die.” I declared clicking my tongue, as I held the photograph in my hand, tapping it. 

“Is that why you killed Lorenzo?” Dad asked out of nowhere and that question almost caught me off guard. The mention of the name ‘Lorenzo’, pulled me down the memory lane of why he had to die - not just because he was a traitor, but because I needed to protect Liam. 

“Maybe yes or maybe not. He was a traitor anyway. He was meant to pay for his treacherous sin with his blood, and I just assisted him in doing so”.

“So, does that means you are ready to pay with your blood any day you betray me?” Dad asked and everywhere became still for a second. 

The tension in the room intensified and I could feel my father's blade placed on my throat, although, he wasn't holding it. 

That question of his meant a lot - it passed a lot of terrifying messages that made fear grip my spine. I became numb for a moment - unable to say anything. 

While my father displayed a creepy smile on his lips, I was forcing saliva down my throat, trying to hide my fear. I found myself slowly trailing back to my old self - the lady that was used to trembling in the presence of her father. 

“Only if that betrayal would worth my blood, but I doubt it would” I answered smiling, but beneath that smile was a raging storm of fear within me. 

“Let's wait till then” he scoffed as if he was striking a bet with me. 

“If there's nothing else to say, I would love to take my leave” I rose to my feet, ready to walk away. 

“Sure, you may leave” he said, but if only he knew I never asked for his permission. If he hadn't consented, I would have walked out of the room with my shoulders raised up high, leaving him hanging. 

I took some steps in an attempt to exit the room, but just two step away from the door, I heard him say: “You are to carry out the task tomorrow and make sure you leave no evidence behind”. 

I hated the fact that even after giving him some attitude, he still felt he could control me. Maybe he hadn't gotten my message yet and I did exactly what I needed to do to ensure my message was loud enough. 

“When I kill and how I kill isn't suppose to be your business. Yours is to assign me duties and mine is to carry them out IN MY OWN WAYS” I warned, laying emphasis on the words - in my own ways. 

“So, I would love if you stop overstepping your boundaries. It would be nice if we respect one another's privacy”. 

And with that, I magnificiently strode out of the room like a Queen I am. 

The days afterwards became better - my father's authority over me subsidized. Seems like he had taken into consideration my warning of us respecting each other's privacy or so I had thought. 

I was able to do whatever I wanted, went out at will and sometimes passed the night at Liam's place that I became suspicious of how gentle my father had become. 

“Does he have anything up his sleeves? Is he trying to figure out a way to bring me down? Or does he know about my relationship with Liam? Is he intending to eliminate us both without me knowing?” These thoughts crossed my mind so many times that I lost count. 

Wanting to satisfy my curiousity and not wanting to be caught off guard by my father, I secretly planted a bug in his study room where I knew he always had his serious conversations. 

I eavesdropped on his conversations daily, hoping I would figure out his scheme, but nothing unusual was found. They were just the normal conversations he had with his soldiers and his clients who brought forth businesses. 

That eased my mind and made me focus on my travelling plans with Liam. The money I had made so far from killing people really helped with clearing of the traveling cost, which made everything go smoothly. 

Each day passed and I was slowly getting close to my freedom - so I had believed. 

Two days to my - our escape day, I got a new mission from my father. But my target that time was different. 

Unlike those strangers I had maim in the past, he was someone I was close to - someone I chose over my father and had been at loggerheads with my father for. 

It was …… LIAM.