The city blurred past the sleek black car window as I sat motionless, the hum of the engine a dull background to the storm raging inside me. Another mission done—another life ended because I had to be the one to do it. This time, a senator is deeply entangled in human trafficking and the filth of prostitution. Another soul ripped from the world. Another step closer to an emptiness I could no longer fight. I returned home, expecting nothing but the cold void I had lived in ever since betrayal struck me down. But Lucas awaited—my fiancé, my shadow in this fractured world. Despite my empty eyes and aloof demeanor, he chased me with a stubborn hope that was almost maddening.
Tonight was special. The scent of roses lingered in the air, candles flickered, and a table set for two whispered promises of a future I barely dared to envision. The moment I stepped through the door, the faint scent of roses greeted me. Candles flickered softly, casting warm glows over the neatly arranged table for two. My wedding was only a week away, but he had prepared this surprise dinner with a nervous smile that betrayed how deeply he cared.
"What's all this?" I managed to ask, masking my fatigue with a faint smile.
His eyes sparkled as he handed me a single rose—the same kind he brought every time since he proposed. "For you, always." "You look tired, Val" he said softly, brushing a stray strand of hair from my face. "How was the mission?"
"I did what I had to," I replied, my voice flat but controlled. The senator's death weighed heavily, but I showed none of it. I would never let him see the cracks.
He nodded, then smiled—a slow, knowing smile. "You've been distant lately. I don't want to lose you."
I studied him, wondering if he really understood the void growing inside me. "You can't chase shadows forever, Lucas." I smoothed down my sleek, slit bodycon dress, its daring cut defying the emptiness inside me. Our laughter filled the room as we dined, a fragile mask of normalcy. He reached again, this time brushing his thumb along my wrist. His fingers hesitated, as if sensing the walls I'd built. "I'm not going anywhere. We're almost there—our wedding is next week. A fresh start."
The words felt hollow—a cruel echo in my fractured world. Still, I let him lead me to the bedroom, where a softer battle awaited.
He kissed me deeply, and for a moment the world blurred. But beneath the surface, a storm raged. As our bodies moved in reckless rhythm, pain stabbed through my chest—sharp, sudden, relentless. I stifled a gasp, grip tightening on the sheets as dark warmth spread beneath me.
Lucas's smile twisted into something else, a shadow peeling away to reveal Rose. Cold eyes locked onto mine with cruel delight.
"So predictable," Rose murmured, trailing a finger along the edge of my blouse. "The genius, the beauty queen, the assassin with secrets worth killing for."
I swallowed the bile tightening my throat. They thought me a fool to believe in love. They thought my empire was untouchable.
But I was already prepared. A whisper of defiance curled at my lips as I pressed my palm to the hidden trigger. The ticking began.
"Three seconds, Rose," I said, voice low, "and you will know why my net worth is counted in more than money."
Their faces twisted in horror as I whispered my final words.
"Happy reunion in hell, lovebirds."I whispered.
Everything went dark.