"This chapter contains: kidnapping
"DRINK. It's chamomile tea." Viktor offered the cup to the person leaning against the light marble counter of his kitchen. "Don't want it?" he asked, his lips close to his own cup.
"Maxin is missing and his footprints ended on the main road. I don't know if he's alive or dead." Her hands took the other cup filled with steaming liquid.
"If he were dead, we'd know."
"I'll kill them if they've done anything to him." Nox's unreadable face trembled into an expression of disgust. "Ugh, what the hell is this?" She put the cup down on the table, her tongue going dry.
"Do you realize you're acting like a rookie? Nox, this is madness!" Viktor also set down his cup. "I don't know what's going on, but stop it right now! You wanted that boy dead—fine, if things go as planned, his body will be on the news by tomorrow."
"It won't, because I won't let it. Maxin is my target, and only I can kill him." Walking toward the entrance hall, Viktor remained silent, feeling Nox's dense emotions.
"Where are you going now?" Outside, Viktor looked at her.
Nox had a cigarette between her lips, staring at the house entrance. A silver car pulled up, and the door opened. Light blue shoes, white pants, and a lab coat adorned with small flowers appeared on Viktor's wife. Upon seeing her, Nox put out the cigarette, and Viktor smiled, lovestruck.
"Love, Nox!" Despite her tired face, Deborah greeted her husband and his colleague.
"Deborah, how have you been?" Nox asked politely, noticing the subtle wrinkle of Deborah's nose from the cigarette smell.
"I'm fine, and you still haven't quit smoking, huh?" she said with a sarcastic tone. As a doctor, Deborah hated smokers—people who chose to kill themselves every day for a few minutes of pleasure.
"Maybe one day. Well, I have to go. Call me if anything happens, Viktor. Bye, Deborah."
"Come have dinner with us sometime!" Deborah shouted to the woman inside the car. Nox nodded, then rolled up the window and started the vehicle. "Ah, I like Nox, but I still get jealous..."
"Jealous of a heartless machine? Haha." He laughed at the small pout on his wife's lips. "Don't worry, I only have eyes for you, Dr. Min. How was work today?" His hands gently cupped her cheeks with care and love.
"I don't want to talk about it. Let's go inside so you can give me a massage."
"Absolutely, my wife."
ELLIOT lived in an apartment complex downtown, and when Nox arrived, the sun was beginning to set.
The elevator doors opened, and she walked to the door, knocking for a few seconds until it was opened by a young man with messy light brown hair and a flushed face. His bare chest was sweaty, and he was breathing fast.
"N-Nox?!" he exclaimed in surprise, and the woman in front of him remained impassive. "What are you doing here?"
"You owe me a favor, remember?" she replied calmly.
"Ah… right. Please wait." He closed the door in her face.
Nox stared at the dark wood, her brows furrowed into a shadowy expression. This kid… I killed a target to save this brat, and this is how I'm received? she grumbled internally.
The hallway was about two meters from the door to the railing, and Nox watched the sky gradually darken. Hours had passed since Maxin Romanov's disappearance, and she could feel something strange in her body—her foot tapped against the floor impatiently. Time was running out, and not knowing where Maxin was felt like a hungry beast waiting for one wrong move to devour her.
"You can come in, Nox." Jin finally reappeared, now wearing a gray shirt and looking less flushed.
Inside his apartment, Nox was hit by an astringent smell, and her nose wrinkled slightly. The couch cushions were disheveled and dotted with suspicious stains, the table was cluttered with drinks, and in a corner of the room, her sharp eyes spotted a piece of women's underwear. It wasn't hard to imagine what had been happening moments earlier.
Shaking her head, she walked out to the balcony, feeling the night breeze on her face.
"I want you to find someone. Tonight," she said when the boy joined her with a glass of water.
"Who?"
"Maxin Romanov."
"You're kidding! You're after him too? That bastard's head is worth thousands of dollars!" He couldn't contain his excitement. "Someone came by this morning for the same reason. I'm sure she'll be the next millionaire. She was from the elite, you know how they are—never miss a chance."
"Someone? What time?" Spinning abruptly, Nox bombarded Elliot with anxious questions.
"No idea. She had red hair and a dragon tattoo on her arm."
"Mariah," Nox confirmed. "I'm going. And you still owe me a favor, Elliot."
"Come on, Nox..."
"I saved your life, idiot. I still have the scar. So you'll always be in debt to me."
That was her final word before leaving the apartment.
DARKNESS swallowed Maxin the moment he opened his blindfolded eyes and realized he was also tied to a chair, hands bound behind his back, a gag in his mouth. Panic started to take over his body, and the situation was far more terrifying than when he was with the assassin—because now he couldn't see the faces of those who'd kidnapped him. All he could do was listen to their voices. One female, one male. He squirmed in the chair, which caught their attention.
"Sleeping beauty is awake?" The woman approached, her hand touching Maxin's face. Her nails brushed his skin, sending chills through his body, his stomach twisting in fear. "Damn, we should've killed him already. Can we kill him now?" she asked anxiously, looking at the tall man holding a phone.
"No rush, Mariah. We've got the whole night for this," he said, eyes still glued to the tracking device's screen.
"No, we don't, and you know it. She'll be here soon." At that, a furious flash crossed Mariah's eyes. Her heels clicked on the floor as she pressed up against the man, a sharp knife pointed at his chest. "Ah, you're waiting for her, aren't you? Waiting for Nox to come, you son of a bitch?!" she roared in his face.
His hand gripped Mariah's wrist with a force that reddened her skin. After pocketing the device, he used his free hand to take the knife from hers.
Mariah yanked her arm back, her beautiful face contorted with hate and pain.
"Still with that ridiculous jealousy? Come on, Mariah..." he said smugly, placing the knife on the table, then pulling her in by the waist, pressing their bodies together. "I always knew Nox had her eyes on Maxin Romanov. He's bait. And when Nox shows up, I'll kill her right in front of you, just so you know how much I want you."
The two locked in a deep kiss, the sounds they made churning the stomach of the young man tied and blindfolded in the chair.
Mariah's hips bumped against the table, and just as she was about to be lifted, the sound of a car pulling up outside caught their attention. They both froze, and Maxin strained to hear.
"Someone's here."
And they both knew exactly who it was.