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Huling Na-update:
2025-03-14 07:00:54
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The Perfect Lie A Deal with the Devil
Chapter 14: A Deal with the DevilLena held a knife hidden in her thin sleeve.The doctor took another slow step forward, his bright shoes crunching on the stones of empty ground. His soldiers surrounded him; they were like silent shadows, menacing silently.Noah came closer to her, took a deep breath, and pressed his injured hand onto his chest. Blood seeped into his arm, yet he grumbled not a single word. He was also glaring at the editor in the very same way.Measure. Compute.Escape with dignity.The doctor smiled self-satisfied like a winner beforehand. "You were poor at this, Lena."Lina set back on her chin and fought to speak in a firm tone. "I have a habit of that."The doctor chuckled. "I heard that." His eyes were on the bag over Noah's shoulder. "Send it again."Lina's heart pounded the hardest.Information. They risk it all to obtain evidence.That evidence would be enough to destroy Ethan.Noah stood at his side.Lina fought to remain stationary. "And then?"The doctor s
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-14The Perfect Lie The Cost of Truth
Chapter 15 The Cost of TruthThe rope seared Lina's flesh, burning her hands. He opened his fingers, trying to ignore the throb in his head. Noah didn't move at all, his head down, the blood on his temple still there.The organizer's words echoed in his mind."you are not alone."It was his tone, the complete sincerity of his words, that scared her the most. Because if he was speaking the truth, then someone had been controlling events all along, and he and Noah never stood a chance.Now, they have been caught.Lina took a deep breath and brushed fear aside. No. There is always a way out.He glanced around the room. The basement was bare—a concrete wall, a ceiling light, and a door that was solid, with no switches, just a handle on the side.He toyed with the strings and attempted them. Tough. Firm. But don't break it. He glanced at Noah.They needed him to wake up."Hey," he whispered, straining his voice. "Noah."He didn't stir.He gritted his teeth and kicked the chair leg. There i
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-14The Perfect Lie The Hourglass Runs Out
Chapter 16 The silence in the basement felt heavier than the steel door slamming shut behind them.Lena stared at the vacant space where Ethan had been mere seconds before, her mind spinning. One hour. That was all they had. Sixty minutes to decide between enforced disappearance or death.Noah stepped beside her, attempting the restraints again. "This is bad.""God," Lena breathed, her heart thudding against the inside of her ribcage.Noah exhaled sharply. "Files were bait. We were used from the start."Lena clenched her teeth. She had known she was playing, but to realize they'd never been in control? That stung.She rested back her head, breathing deep into it. Hold on. Do not freak."I'm not quitting," she stated.Noah dry-laughed. "Yeah, well, that makes two of us. But how do you plan on fighting back when we're tied to chairs in a locked room?"Lena tugged at the ropes, wincing as they dug deeper into her wrists. She'd escaped worse predicaments before—perhaps not exactly like t
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-15The Perfect Lie The Chase Begins
Chapter 17 The roar of the SUV's engine shattered the quiet of the alley, its headlights cutting through the darkness like two blades of light.Lena barely had time to respond when Noah dragged her along, and they both took off in a wild sprint."Move!"The SUV lurched ahead, tires screeching on the pavement.Lena's lungs were on fire as she strained her legs with all her might, her heart thundering in her chest. She heard the growly rumble of the car behind them, bearing down fast.They had seconds. Maybe fewer."Left, Noah!" he swung suddenly to the left, pulling Lena with him as they dodged between two great dumpsters and into a dark alleyway.The SUV sped by the alleyway entrance, tires screaming as the driver jammed on the brakes.Lena took a breath. "They've spotted us."Noah swore. "We need to get off the road."Lena scanned the surroundings. The alley was dead-ended, surrounded by a chain-link fence lined with razor wire.There was one door to their right, rusty and slightly
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-15The Perfect Lie The Ghost from the Past
Chapter 18 The city lay before them, infinite and unforgiving. Shadows stretched long under trembling streetlights, the air thick with the distant scent of rain and gasoline.Lena and Noah ran.Steps rang out behind them—closer than she would have liked.Damien wouldn't give up. He was a ghost from her past, resurrected just when she'd begun to believe she was finally free.She was breathing fast, her heart racing in her chest. "We need cover."Noah glanced down the street. "There."There was a neon-lit motel at the end of the block, and the old sign crackled weakly in the night air.They sprinted across the street, avoiding a screeching car, and dived into the alley beside the motel.Noah pressed his back against the wall, gun still gripped tight in his hand. He glanced at Lena. “You okay?”Lena wiped the sweat from her brow. “I’ve been better.”A flicker of something passed over Noah’s face, but he said nothing.Lena peeked around the corner.Damien and his men had stopped at the i
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-15The Perfect Lie Surprise Visitor
Chapter 19 The highway stretched before them, a band of blacktop cutting through the city's shadowy edge. The headlights pierced the gloom, illuminating the trees that lined the highway like silent sentinels.Lena stared out at the window, her mind reeling as they approached the one place she had vowed never to return to - the house.Noah’s hands gripped the wheel, his knuckles white. He had been quiet ever since she told him where they were going. Now, as the old wooden mailbox came into view, he finally broke the silence.“This is a bad idea.”Lena exhaled slowly. “It’s the only idea we’ve got.”Noah didn’t argue, but she could feel his skepticism radiating off him. She didn’t blame him.The lady in that house was evil in her own right.And she was Lena's mother.The car coasted into a stop in front of a weathered two-story farmhouse, its original white paint now peeling with age. The porch light cast a dim glow, sending shadows long across the front porch steps.Lena caught hersel
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-18The Perfect Lie The Escape Route
Chapter 20 The tunnel was narrow, barely wide enough for two to walk side by side. Lena could sense the dampness of the earth closing in on them, the scent of dirt and aged wood filling her lungs. Her mother had a secret passage all these years, and she'd never even guessed.Noah moved in front of her, his gun still clutched in his hand, his muscles tense. The dim emergency lights mounted on the walls of the tunnel created eerie, leaping shadows.Evelyn closed the panel door behind them, shutting out the sounds of the house above."Keep going," she urged, her voice crisp but cutting.Lena's heart pounded. She could hear the sound of car doors slamming shut in the distance and the characteristic crunch of footsteps on gravel. Damien's men had arrived.They had minutes—maybe fewer.No Time for QuestionsNoah kept a steady pace, leading them deeper into the tunnel. "Where does this go?"Evelyn, lagging behind them, laughed softly. "Wouldn't you like to know?"Lena gave her a sharp glare
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-18The Perfect Lie The Price of Truth
Chapter 21The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and pine, the cold wind biting at Lena's skin as they emerged from the collapsed tunnel. Her lungs burned from the sprint, her heart pounding in her ears, but she didn't relent. Couldn't relent.Noah grasped her wrist and pulled her with him, his gaze raking the row of trees with calculating coldness. His gun stayed at the ready, the tension in his stance unbroken. Evelyn trailed a few steps behind them, patting her coat into place with the same malignant calm with which she always did everything as if their near-miss with death had been no more than a trifling incident.Lena's heart continued to flutter, her mind trapped in a never-ending cycle of Damien's words."Vincent Mercer is not an arms dealer. He's the one in charge."A ghost. A hushed name in the darkest corners, someone whom no one had ever seen and lived to talk about.She clenched her teeth. They were no longer attempting to flee from Damien. They'd stepped into so
Huling Na-update : 2025-03-19
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The Perfect Lie Fire and Blood
Chapter 56 – Fire and BloodLena occupied the head of the table, her drumming fingers on the glass top. Around her, the inner circle waited. Marco leaned back in his chair, arms folded. Michael stood near the window, watching the streets below. Noah spun a knife between his fingers, his smirk never wavering.Luca was the last to speak. "The Albanians are in chaos. Fifty percent of their men demand vengeance. Fifty percent demand to fall in line."Lena nodded. "And the Russians?"Michael spun around. "Quiet. Too quiet."Bad. Quiet meant planning. Quiet meant threat."They're waiting, observing to see if we stumble," Marco said to her.Lena met his eyes. "We won't."The attack came sooner than anticipated.Lena had driven the car back up to the estate when Michael's voice crackled into the earpiece."Lena. Take out."She did not debate it. She pulled open the door, twisting over onto the road as the car blew up behind her.The blast resounded down the road. Shattered glass echoed off th
The Perfect Lie The Queen's Move
Chapter 55 – The Queen's MoveThe city was quiet. So quiet that one can hear the sound of a dropped pin, but not enough to distract Lena and her team.Lena stood in the window of her new office, gazing out at the skyline. It still smelled of gunpowder. Romano's body wasn't even cold before his empire was sold. People were standing by, observing, unsure what the next move will be.She wasn't sure, either."Report," she said without glancing around.Michael braced in the doorframe, arms folded. "Luca's rallying the lieutenants. Some aren't happy, but they won't move.""They should."Noah filled the gap, dropping a folder onto the desk. "Romano's companies, contacts, offshore accounts. All yours now."Lena snapped the folder open. Money. Power. A crime empire at her fingertips.Marco finally spoke. "They'll fight you."She smiled. "Let them."The first fight came sooner than she'd expected.Luca called a meeting. Not just a meeting—a reception by the most powerful players in Romano's emp
The Perfect Lie The Price of War
Chapter 54 The air was thick with the smell of burned paper and gasoline. Lena sat at the table, her gaze on the stolen documents. The room was still, except for the occasional groan of a chair as Michael shifted."We hit him hard," Noah said, pushing his hair behind his ear. His knuckles were bruised from the fight. "But Romano will not let this go."Marco leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. "He'll retaliate. Hard and fast."Lena snapped a finger against the table. "We need to strike before him."Michael frowned. "We just got out of that club alive. We don't even know his motive."Lena's lips puckered into a line. "We know what he'll do. He'll strike at our supporters. He'll try to cut us off."She gestured towards the papers."These files don't just expose his crimes. They expose his weaknesses. The men he relies on. Take them away first, and he'll be alone."Marco nodded uncertainly. "You're talking about dismantling his entire operation."Lena's gaze was glacial. "Ye
The Perfect Lie Fire in the Dark
Chapter 53The shelter house stank of gunpowder and sweat. Noah wrapped the gushing area on the kitchen table. Michael leaned against the wall, his jaw clenched in thought.Lena sat across from them, holding the burner phone. Marco's last words recurred in her mind. He's afraid.Romano was not used to being fearful. He was used to mastering. That they had gotten into his head was a sign that one thing—they would strike back worse.Lena exhaled. "We need to get going."Michael's gaze went slanted to hers. "Where?""Right to the heart of his operations," she replied. "We don't let him gather steam."Noah smiled and yelped as he pulled tight the final knot. "I like the thought."Michael frowned. "We barely made it out last time."Lena met his eye. "That was in self-defense. Now we attack."Michael sighed but nodded. "What is the target?"She glanced at Marco, seated mutely in the corner. He had heard and watched. He was a man who understood how and when to voice an opinion.Now, he did.
The Perfect Lie The Breaking Point
Chapter 52 The night crawled after Lena had left the club. Every second tested their patience, wondering if Marco Benedetti would betray Romano or them.Lena slept at the kitchen table of the safe house, drumming her fingers on the wood. The air was thick with the smell of burnt coffee and gunpowder. Michael leaned against the counter, arms crossed, while Noah cleaned his gun beside her."We give him 24 hours," Michael said. "If he doesn't call, we assume he's being faithful."Lena nodded. "And if he is faithful, we cut him down."Noah smiled. "I like this side of you."Lena didn't smile. She wasn't in the mood.Then, the burner phone rang.The three of them froze.Lena picked up. "Speak."A deep breath. Then Marco's voice. "Meet me at the old train station. One hour."The phone line went dead.Michael frowned. "It could be a setup."Lena stood up, her fingers around her gun. "Then we put it straight back again."The vacant station was on the edge of town, left to the ravages of time
The Perfect Lie The Cost of War
Chapter 51 The city felt different outside of the docks. The air was heavy, the streets quiet. It was as if the night had engulfed the gunfire and only tension remained. Lena sat in the backseat of the vehicle, staring out at the black horizon.Michael drove in silence, his jaw set. Noah rode beside him, his arms crossed. No words were spoken, but the tension of what had just happened weighed on them. Romano had lived again.Lena exhaled slowly, forcing the anger down. He won't keep escaping.They pulled up at the safe house, a battered building in a barren part of town. The three of them entered quickly, locking the doors behind.The air inside reeked of gunpowder and aged wood. There was one table in the middle of the room, maps and papers strewn about.Noah threw his gun on the table. "We misjudged him."Michael stroked his hair. "We should have expected it."Lena planted herself on the chair, her elbows on the table. "Romano expected us to utilize Leo. He played us."Noah let out
The Perfect Lie Into the Wolf's Den
Chapter 50 The night was cold, the air thick with the promise of violence. Lena stood in the alley behind an abandoned factory, shrouded in the darkness. Her breath came evenly, her hands loose at her sides, but inside she was a storm.Leo had taken the bait. All they had to do now was track him.Michael crouched beside her, his eyes scouring the street. "He's not slowing down."Lena nodded. "He's scared. He thinks he was lucky to escape."Noah adjusted the earpiece in his ear. "Or he knows it's a trap and is attempting to lead us into one."Lena's lips curled into a cold smile. "Either way, we win."Across the street, Leo ducked into a black sedan that had been waiting for him. The car pulled away, disappearing into the city.Michael tapped his radio. “We follow from a distance. No risks.”Lena exhaled, watching the taillights fade. Romano, I’m coming for you.Their own car slid into traffic, smooth and silent. Michael drove, his focus sharp. Noah kept his eyes on the tracker they h
The Perfect Lie The Ghost from the Past
Chapter 49 The car hurtled through the empty streets, the lights of the city blurring in a streak. The air inside was tense, thick with unspoken words.Lena sat in the back seat, her mind racing. Silvio Romano. A name she hadn't spoken in years. A name she never wanted to hear again.Mara sat beside her, arms crossed, eyes blazing. Michael drove fast, one hand on the wheel, the other holding his gun.Noah, who was riding shotgun, broke the silence. "Who the heck was that?"Lena's voice was cold. "A dead man."Michael's eyes met hers through the mirror. "He didn't look dead."Lena's fists tightened. He should have been.Mara sat up straight. "Romano." She spat the name. "I figured he disappeared."Lena kept her gaze. "Me too."Silvio Romano was a monster in their world. Not just a killer—a plotter, a manipulator, a ghost that could never be caught. Years ago, he had disappeared after his empire had collapsed. Most figured him dead.But now he was back. And he had just tried to kill th
The Perfect Lie Shadows on the Docks
Chapter 48 The gale blew over the empty dock. The night air was sharp with salt and rust odors. Midnight crept in, and Lena poised on the fringe of the docks, her pulse steady, her mind sharp.Michael and Noah stood there, out of view. Vincent had offered to bring his team, but Lena refused. This meeting needed to appear to be an act of trust—even if it was not.Headlights cut through the darkness. A black SUV pulled up, tires crunching gravel. The back door opened, and Mara Varela stepped out, heels clicking on wooden planks.Behind her, three men stood watch. Armed, but controlled.Lena smirked. “Three guards? I’m flattered.”Mara tilted her head. “You kidnapped my brother. I’m being polite.”Leo was still in their custody, tied to a chair in a warehouse across the city. He was unharmed—for now.Mara took a slow step forward. “Let’s talk.”Lena nodded. “Let’s.”They faced each other under the glow of a flickering streetlight.Mara crossed her arms. "You've made your point. But if y
