Alice clenched her fist tightly as she tried to think straight. She couldn’t possibly strip; she wasn't a man, and she was in a room full of them. Stripping would mean shedding her disguise along with her dignity, and 100 push-ups? Who was she kidding? Her bones would probably break before she reached 50. In summary, Enzo’s punishment was far worse than Zade’s. She had considered quitting and running as far away as possible from Alfonso or getting a new identity, but that idea collapsed when Enzo told her she couldn’t quit. She was now… a suspect.
There was only one thing she could do. Alice cleared her throat and turned to face Enzo.
"I choose to take Zade's offer instead," Alice said in her manly voice. She bowed deeply and quickly headed toward the exit. She opened the door and stifled a gasp when she saw Zade standing right in front of her. She bowed slightly and quickly ran out, reaching her office and shutting the door with a loud bang.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Alice ran her hands through her hair multiple times and fell into her chair. What was she going to do now?
Her phone began ringing. She checked the caller ID: it was Chiara. She swiped to answer, and Chiara's voice boomed from the speaker. Alice explained everything that had happened, and Chiara remained starstruck.
"Fuck! And you accepted the punishment? It's like walking directly to your grave!" Chiara said worriedly.
"I had no damn choice. It’s either this or I strip in front of those men, and you know what that means," Alice said, cursing her cruel fate.
Alice heard the door alarm and instantly ended the call with Chiara. She opened the door to find Enzo's secretary, Clara.
Alice had hoped Enzo and his devilish grandson would revoke their decision, but that hope vanished when she read the document Clara handed her. It detailed her suicide mission. What was worse was that she couldn’t reach Sergio for help. Damn!
Clara bowed slightly before leaving the room, but Alice barely noticed her; her mind was occupied with the trouble she was in. She texted Chiara to dig up dirt on Zade. He would surely pay for this if she made it out of the mission alive. Did he really think he was the only soulless person in existence? Alice scoffed; he hadn’t met Alice Francesco. Two could play this dirty game of chess.
Alice stormed out of her room and arrived at another training ground, different from the one Enzo usually frequented. The place was completely empty, and Alice was glad about it. She changed into a black baggy T-shirt and gray sweatpants.
She put on her gloves and stood in front of the punching bag. She punched relentlessly, each blow harder than the last. A few minutes later, she was covered in sweat, and her arms felt like jelly, but she didn’t stop. She continued punching, then swung her legs and gave it a hard kick, threatening to destroy the chain that held the bag.
Alice turned sharply when she heard someone clapping from behind her. It was a guy around her age, with dark brown hair and a cheerful grin. In the next second, a guy with full blonde hair walked in, wearing an aloof expression. Alice didn’t care about either of them.
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously when the cheerful guy approached and stood a few feet away. "Saint," he said, outstretching his hand with a broad smile.
Alice scoffed, ignoring him completely as she resumed her merciless punches on the bag.
"Pardon me, my question was quite foolish because everyone knows you're the boss’s bodyguard," Saint said, seemingly undeterred by Alice’s aloofness. The odd bodyguard actually fascinated him.
"Bet you ain't no saint," Alice scoffed, narrowing her eyes. She hated pests and annoying creatures hovering around her.
Saint laughed, the grin still intact, and Alice wished she could just slap it off. She tried her best to ignore him, but that was a terrible decision as Saint kept poking her for answers. His questions were unending despite her silence.
"So what's your body count?" Saint asked with that same annoying grin.
That seemed to be the last straw. Alice's hand shot up to his neck in a firm grip, almost strangling the life out of him.
Saint struggled to free himself from her iron grip, but who was he kidding? He had underestimated Enzo’s bodyguard and had foolishly stepped on the tiger's tail. Her chokehold became impossibly tighter, and Saint could literally feel his life slipping away.
Alice held him tighter, venting all her anger on him. To her, it felt like it was Zade she was strangling, and she would have killed him for real if someone hadn’t pushed her roughly, causing her to fall on her butt. It was the blonde guy, and Alice didn’t expect the hard punch he delivered, making her lip burst and blood seep out. She wanted to get up and attack him, but she stopped herself. If she fought him, she would definitely kill him, and Enzo wouldn’t be happy about that.
A satisfied smile crossed her lips when she saw Saint gasping for breath. The blonde boy helped him up while glaring at her. "Definitely killing you myself," he said spitefully. Alice clenched her fist as she watched them leave.
Definitely killing her, huh? Now she regretted not shredding him to pieces when she had the chance. Alice got up and drew her gun from its holster.
The door opened, and the thought of the idiot boy coming back to fulfill his threat irked her to no end. She swiftly turned around, gun aimed at her opponent, and pulled the trigger.
However, her eyes widened in shock as it wasn’t the blonde boy standing in front of her but Zade. Before she could process the situation, the bullet rammed into his chest.
---
Inside a five-star hotel, more than ten police officers ran through the hallway, searching for a criminal. The chase left the hotel in disarray as onlookers watched the scene with anxiety. This wasn’t uncommon in Milan; officers would pop out of nowhere in an attempt to catch the legendary criminal who was always behind a mask. It had been seven years, but every attempt to catch her had been unsuccessful.Alice ran through different halls, taking various turns in the hotel. No doubt, the police were still behind her, but she had given them a significant lead. This wasn’t her first getaway, nor her tenth.Alice checked her backpack to ensure the bars of gold were still inside. There were three large bars, and she knew they would cost a fortune. She zipped the bag and adjusted it on her back properly.Her life would have been easier without Collin Marcello. From what she knew, he worked with the international crime agency and was obsessed with apprehending her. He made all her missions
Alice got out of the rickety car, gasping repeatedly. Her best friend, Chiara Niccolo, followed next—a pretty, blue-eyed damsel."You're lucky I was driving by when you called. You could have gotten caught, for fuck's sake," Chiara reprimanded.Alice had managed to change out of the black getup in the car; now she wore a simple blue gown and had her dark brown hair tied in a neat ponytail. The bag containing the gold was slung over one shoulder as she stared back at Chiara with her emerald green eyes."Lucky me. Thanks, though," Alice said, and Chiara smiled back at her. She got back into the car, and it took quite some time before she could get the engine running again. She drove off afterward.Alice sighed and turned to face the large building in front of her. It was heavily fenced, making it a 'no-go zone' for intruders—Vicenzo Empire. If the mafia world had a king, it would be the Don of Vicenzo. The Vicenzo mafia empire was first in terms of rank, wealth, and affluence.Alice wal
Alice could hear the faint sound of footsteps approaching her. She struggled to open her eyes, feeling as if she were experiencing sleep paralysis. Her eyes flew open when she felt someone pour something cold on her.She scrunched her nose in disgust as she looked at the cold liquid that dripped down her body. She was tied to a chair and gulped fearfully at the thought of Collin finding her. It had to be him.She heard the sound of steady footsteps approaching but couldn’t see because her eyes were covered with blood. Her vision cleared, and her eyes widened when she saw Alfonso Ferdinando, the Consigliere of the Vicenzo empire, standing in front of her. Alfonso was the direct advisor to the Don, giving him a rank much higher than her father’s.She was shocked to see him. Why on earth had he had her kidnapped? She hadn't done anything wrong to him unless he was related to Collin, which seemed impossible.Alfonso easily intimidated everyone with his tall frame and cold nature. His word
Alice quickly tore her eyes away from his. Luckily, a cab stopped nearby. She hastily walked towards it and quickly got inside.Zade's eyebrows creased as he watched the strange guy get into the car. His friend, Francesco, came down next and pushed his platinum hair backward."What are you staring at?" Francesco asked Zade, who seemed to be lost in thought."Nothing," Zade said, and he walked into the large building with Francesco behind him.He had been immersed in finding the little thief who had double-crossed him, but it seemed she had vanished into thin air. That was fine, though; he would definitely find her. It was just a matter of time.The workers who passed him kept greeting him, but he never responded. He wore a cold and stoic expression on his face, his aura commanding respect from passersby.He arrived at the front of Enzo's office and entered unannounced, with Francesco behind him."Zade," Enzo called, surprised by his presence in his office."Grandfather," Zade replied
Alice's heart raced even more, and she clenched her fists tightly to snap herself out of her wild imaginations.Zade Vicenzo observed her with keen eyes after he had introduced himself, seemingly waiting for her response. "I am Simone Leonardo, Mr. Vicenzo's bodyguard," she introduced herself."I heard. If you need anything, let me know," Zade smiled warmly, causing a shiver to run down her spine.Alice would have fallen for his charm if she hadn’t encountered him at the hotel. She stared at him warily. Nevertheless, Alice nodded with a faint smile. "It seemed like you were in quite a hurry yesterday," Zade drawled, his intelligent gray eyes fixed on her brown eyes."Yesterday? Ah, yes, I was," Alice replied. Did he remember? Why was he so insistent on tormenting her?"I see." Zade nodded. "We'll be seeing more of each other lately. How about dinner sometime?" he asked.Alice felt a cold sweat trickle down her back and quickly shook her head. "I have a very busy schedule. I'm not s
Zade kicked the door open and frowned at the sight he saw.. The bathroom was completely empty, with no hint of Simone anywhere. It was obviously impossible for him to have disappeared into thin air, so where did he go?Zade shoved his hands into his pockets as his eyes zeroed in on the faint droplet of blood on the floor, and a sinister smirk found its way to his pale lips.Alice walked as fast as her feet could carry her. Her stomach still hurt painfully, but she had to get out of the mansion somehow. Minutes ago, she had called Chiara and explained everything that was happening to her. Chiara, being one of the smartest hackers alive, easily hacked into the CCTV cameras in the mansion and discovered a back door she could use to escape.Alice had the faintest idea of what she would tell Enzo or Zade the next day, but she couldn't let them see her like this, or her cover would be blown. Chiara sent another text, explaining the routes to the back door. She was currently in a dark hallwa
Chapter 7: Under the Mafia's VeilAlice's heart drummed loudly in her ears as she helplessly stared at Collin Marcello—the same man who was after her life and whom she was madly in love with.For a fleeting second, she wanted to run away, as she had always done whenever she saw him. He was the red light in her missions, and she had only encountered him when trying to make her escape. This was the first time she stood in front of him, not as a criminal but as a normal person.He cleared his throat, and she immediately snapped out of her trance. His brown locks were neatly pushed back, but two stubborn strands hovered over his face. Collin was handsome; it was a miracle she was able to tear her eyes away from him."Collin Marcello," he said in a friendly tone, extending his hand. Alice looked down at his outstretched hand, not noticing when he stepped closer to her.Alice composed herself, not wanting to architect her own doom. "Simone Leonardo," she said in her pretend male voice."I kn