When the world was a swirling mess of questions and surprises, Rochelle was jogging on a treadmill, her gaze fixed on the same viral video playing over and over. Each time it replayed, her smile grew wider, her eyes gleaming with a hint of madness. Her body, sculpted and gleaming with sweat, finally came to a halt as she stopped the machine and burst out laughing. The room echoed with her laughter—empty except for herself. Lucky, too, or else anyone watching might think she was insane. Which, in a way, she was. "Oh, what a way to start the day!" she giggled, wiping away tears of laughter. With a sharp snap of her fingers, she grinned. “Now, where should I start? No, no—I'm dying to see her face.” Humming with excitement, Rochelle bolted for the shower. The music blared loud enough to rattle the walls, and her voice, off-key but confident, filled the bathroom as she sang at the top of her lungs. Her mood had shifted so drastically, anyone would have thought she’d won the lottery. Mo

Lian was trying to throw together something for dinner when a sharp knock broke the quiet. His muscles tensed immediately. Jake had finally found him. He clenched the handle of the knife he’d been using to chop vegetables, cursing silently. If he had the money, he would have moved long ago. He edged cautiously to the door. Peering through the peephole, he breathed a sigh of relief. Rogan stood there, looking far too casual with a grin plastered across his face and a box of pizza raised in one hand. Lian unlocked the door, his body still buzzing with leftover tension. Rogan pushed past Lian into the small apartment like he owned the place. Moments later, they sat squashed together on the cramped couch, eating straight from the box. “So, let me get this straight,” Rogan said through a mouthful of pizza. “Scupper, gave you a hotel address, and then—BOOM?” Lian leaned back, rubbing a hand over his face. "I’ve told you the same story three times, Rogan. You gonna take this seriously

The hospital hallways were quiet, too quiet for Rochelle's liking. The early morning light spilled through the narrow windows as she arrived at the secret facility, humming a tune that was slightly off-key, her steps almost bouncing in a twisted joy. Three months. Three long months since Lin Lijun had fallen into a coma. In that time, they had moved her from hospital to hospital, each more secure than the last, to keep her safe from those who wanted her dead. But Rochelle wasn’t here to protect Lijun out of kindness. No, Lijun needed to wake up—she had to pay for her crimes. “A criminal shouldn’t die before they pay,” Rochelle muttered under her breath, her eyes wide with anticipation as she pushed open the door to Lijun’s room. The bed was empty. Her heart skipped a beat, a thin thread of panic and excitement twisting together. She scanned the room until her gaze landed on a figure slumped on the floor, long hair obscuring half her face, leaning weakly against the bed. Rochelle

She had one order that brought her from Thailand to Vegas: eliminate Lin Lijun. However, just as she was about to complete her mission, someone beat her to it—an explosion ripped through Lijun’s hotel room, leaving the target alive but gravely injured. She hadn’t even had a chance to act before Lijun got into an accident. Her mission was quickly altered. Instead of killing Lijun, her orders now were to bring her back to Thailand. The reasons behind this change, or the connection between Lijun and her boss, were irrelevant to her. All that mattered was accomplishing the task set before her. It hadn't been difficult to infiltrate the hospital as a nurse. With her background in medical training, blending in was second nature. Now, she was ready to act. Today would be the day she’d take Lijun out of this facility. In her small office, she prepared the items she would need: a tray of innocuous pills, a syringe, and her concealed weapon, tucked carefully into the thigh holster beneath her

Lijun slowly blinked open her eyes, greeted only by darkness. The oppressive silence that surrounded her sent chills down her spine, especially by the realization that her hands and feet were tied to the chair on which she sat in this unknown place. She heard no sounds or any indication of her captors' presence. After what felt like an eternity of waiting, the faint sound of approaching footsteps echoed in the darkness, signalling the arrival of someone. As the steps drew closer, a torch suddenly illuminated the room, causing Lijun to flinch from the sudden brightness. Blinking away the temporary blindness, she focused her gaze on the figure who had entered. Before her stood a young man, his long auburn hair framed his face, his blue eyes betraying a hint of anger at the sight of her. His intense gaze lingered on her for a few moments before he stepped aside. Behind him was a tall and imposing figure clad in a heavy coat and a sleek black suit. His athletic build and unshaven fac