At first, she did ask me if I wanted to back out, but I refused because the fact of having a client asking for my services felt more pleasant, like someone needed me even if I was hiding behind another identity. Until she refrained from asking, but in the organization, there was no head. Since Vicky was the one to gather information about our different missions, she was like a switch connected to various computers.
The slight difference is that the other computers didn’t know the identity of their colleagues. In the organization, she is known as ‘Shadow’. No one knew about her identity in the organization, but since she was the one to bring me into the group, I know about her. The only information she made me know was that I was the youngest. The organization itself was non-affiliated with any other groups or mafias, so even mafias can contact us for a job if they wish not to be suspected. The organization only has one rule, and that is no one is supposed to know the other's identity. However, if they come to know about it, the other party has the right to take the other person’s life if they find it a threat to their personal life. But now, who wants this dear target dead, I’m not too curious, so I’ll leave it as it is. I’ll have to pass by that place to collect my lovely toy. She placed her phone in her pocket and left her room. She moved down the stairs, only to stop midway as she saw her aunt holding her cousin’s hand and smiling warmly while walking towards the door. They seemed to be having a nice conversation until her aunt turned, and they accidentally made eye contact with her. She turned her head to face her better. “Oh, you’re there. I want you to prepare grilled chicken with sautéed vegetable quinoa for dinner. Nana and I are heading out, and we will be back late. Bye,” she smiled, but her eyes were cold; there was no warmth in them. Aurora, without a word, walked towards the kitchen. She went to take a look in the refrigerator to see what was available to prepare grilled chicken with sautéed vegetable quinoa. Her aunt perfectly knew that she didn’t know how to cook but still asked her to do so. Was she not afraid of her burning the house or having the food well-cooked or having too much salt? She took out her phone and searched online on how to make the meal. As the video was playing, she picked up 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, salt, pepper, paprika, Herbs of Provence or your favorite herbs, lemon juice, and olive oil. She tied her cascading black hair and put on an apron. And she started cooking. As Aurora prepared her evening meal, she meticulously seasoned the boneless, skinless chicken breasts with a delicate blend of salt, pepper, paprika, and Herbs of Provence, infusing them with a burst of flavor. A splash of lemon juice added a zesty touch before they were left to rest, allowing the flavors to meld. Meanwhile, in a separate pot, she rinsed the quinoa under cool water before adding it to a saucepan of simmering water. As the quinoa cooked and absorbed the liquid, Aurora skillfully sautéed an assortment of vibrant vegetables—crisp bell peppers, tender zucchinis, and earthy carrots—infusing them with the aroma of minced garlic. With precision and care, she combined the sautéed vegetables with the fluffy quinoa, creating a colorful and nutritious bed for the succulent grilled chicken. The tantalizing aroma filled the kitchen as Aurora plated her masterpiece, knowing that not only was it a feast for the senses but also a nourishing delight for the body. When she was done with the food, she rinsed the dishes and put them away in their place. She pulled out her phone from her pocket and looked at the time; it was already 2 pm. In this house, they eat dinner at 6 pm, so she had a few hours in front of her. She folded her arms and tilted her head to the side to think about what she could do to pass the time and avoid family dinner. It didn’t take her long to come to a conclusion; she decided to eat to her fill around 5 pm. Since her aunt asked her to cook, it means she will be late for dinner.She took the vacuum cleaner from behind the stairs and cleaned the house from top to bottom without entering the bedroom, and then mopped the floor. The house is big to clean for just one person; obviously, it would take a few hours to completely clean the house. It was better to avoid any scenes because when she remembered being seventeen, she was sitting in her room when her aunt barged in, claiming that I stole nana’s favorite jewel. I denied that I only entered her room to clean, but she was already rummaging around my shabby things until she pulled out a necklace. It was really eye-catching. When I tried to explain further, my aunt gave me a sound slap that made me think I was seeing stars. She asked nana to bring a belt, and after a while, my cousin was back with a black leather belt and handed it to my aunt. Seeing it, my body involuntarily shivered. She waved the belt in front of me, saying, “I already warned you to enjoy what you have been given but do not covet more than t
The days passed by more quickly, and today was Friday, the famous day of the blind date. The past few days were more hectic because I had to be rushed from right to left by Nana to do my hair and arrange my nails. Even if I had to impress on the famous blind date, they didn’t want to use money unnecessarily in bringing me to beauty salons. Instead, I had my hair and nails done by someone who is used to helping Nana when she is supposed to attend balls or ceremonies accompanied by her mother. After I was done with the preliminary steps to make a breathtaking creature, I now had to go and meet Nana to see which dress would go in accordance with all the efforts made on my hair, especially.She walked towards Nana's room and knocked. When she heard a sound inside, she immediately knew that her cousin was there. She was more certain when her cousin opened the door with a beauty mask on her face. Her cousin first took her sweet time to look at Aurora from top to bottom before ste
Later, she carefully dried her silky black hair and took a comb to meticulously brush it. She tied it in a half-high ponytail because she considered the efforts placed before were just to treat it, making it feel more like a hair treatment rather than styling it. She then took a hairpin and placed it on the band holding her hair in place. She left her room and descended down the stairs. As she took the last step of the stairs, she came across her uncle, who almost knocked her if not for her fast reaction. He stared at her for a few minutes from head to toe without blinking until his usual cold eyes showed emotions of anger and disgust. He grabbed her by her collar and yanked her towards him until they were at eye level. He asked her, "Why aren’t you wearing a presentable dress and accessories, or is your goal to sully our family?".She looked at him with a perplexed look before glancing to the side. "I went to meet Nana to borrow a dress, but she refused," her unc
The weather in March was not that good at that particular moment. A twenty-year-old girl was seen sitting by the window looking at rain flowing down. Her fifteen-meter room had a lit bulb that barely burned to illuminate the room. Her white pale hands, with calluses from doing home chores, were holding a needle and a dress, trying to mend her already worn-out dress. Her room was just barely managed with only a chair, a bed, and a single cupboard.She was still mending her clothes when the door to her room banged open, and a brown-haired girl was standing at the door. The girl’s eyes were filled with disdain as she looked all over the room before her eyes landed on the girl sitting near the windows. She closed her nose as if the room was smelling badly. "Aren’t you ready yet, or do you want to make Mom and I wait?" Her voice was low but threatening, making the girl look up. The bright blue eyes made the girl standing at the door clench her fist."No sister, I was just mending the cloth
As they watched their aunt leave, Nana turned towards Aurora. Her gentle demeanor, which she always portrayed in front of her mother, vanished in a second, bringing now her haughty behavior. She looked at Aurora from head to toe, still feeling angry at the fact that the girl was more beautiful than her. She couldn't even take her eyes away from her. She shook her head and glared at the girl, who was of the same height as her. "Go and get me a glass of champagne," she said. Coincidentally, a server was passing by, so Aurora walked towards him, took a glass from him, and gave it directly to Nana. Nana took the glass with her left hand and folded her right hand over her chest, letting the hand holding the glass rest on it. She looked around the room until her eyes lit up. “Bryan!” she lifted her right hand to wave at the person. Hearing the name, Aurora involuntarily stiffened, her hands clenched at her sides before involuntarily releasing them. Since Nana didn’t get the reaction of
In the middle of the parlor, Nana and Aurora were left standing, gazing at each other. While one was seething with anger, the other was calm, as if the eyes looking at her with deep hatred weren’t directed at her at all. The tension around the parlor was so high that it could be cut through with a knife. Pak! Aurora’s head tilted to the side, her beautiful face stained with five handprints on her cheeks, as she looked at the angry nana. This time, her once calm face turned expressionless, and her voice almost lowered to the point of a whisper with a hint of surprise. “Can you tell me what's the meaning of this ?” she asked. Nana wasn’t done as she tried to scratch the other party's face without success. “It’s all your fault, you bitch! Bryan doesn’t want to abandon you. You always take every little thing that belongs to me. Will you be satisfied after taking everything away from me?” As she said it, her voice was hysterical. Aurora, who was slightly stunned and speechless, burst ou
As she entered her room, she immediately discarded the dress she was wearing and took a short bath. She then put on her old clothes that she had been wearing while waiting for the unusable dresses from her cousin. She remembered how her twelve-year-old self had asked her aunt if she could get new clothes, but what she got in response was, "Enjoy what you have been given, but do not covet for more." And so, the conversation ended like that. She made her way to her bed and climbed onto it. She picked up her phone that she had thrown earlier on the bed before leaving for the ceremony.As she took her phone, contemplating if she should call or write a message to her friend, she decided to call. After just a few seconds, the call connected and a sweet, joyful voice came into her ears, "Hey Aurora, what’s up?" Hearing her voice made Aurora’s eyes glisten with tears. Her eyes, which were calm, now glistened with tears upon hearing her friend’s voice. She met her friend when she was still in
Aurora kept her eyes fixed on Nana’s laughing face while reminiscing about what happened 15 years ago. She remembered how, at that time, she considered her aunt as her mom. She remembered how she drew a little picture of their family with her aunt and uncle behind her, and Nana in front, all smiling, even though she was the only outcast with black hair. As she looked at the picture she drew, she felt proud. In her moments of happiness, she ran to her aunt, wanting to try and earn praise. Her aunt was sitting at the table in the kitchen, tightening her hand on the phone as if she had received bad news, with a cup of coffee in front of her. Little Aurora, oblivious to that, called out to her, only to be splashed with tea. She was quick to dodge, but unfortunately, it splashed on her forearm, running down to her hand. She let out some sobs, but her aunt didn’t care and said to her that she wasn’t her mom, but hers was a bitch. But what can a 5-year-old understand? After venting her ange