Amelia’s POV
The click echoed in the garden, deafening in its silence. I stared at the gun, my heart dropping as I realized it was empty. No bullet. I glanced up at Kai, and any trace of surprise in his eyes vanished, replaced by an icy, calculating look.
"You failed, Amelia," he said, disappointment edging his voice. "I handed you the chance, and you couldn’t even seize it properly."
The gun fell from my hands, clattering uselessly to the ground. He had set me up, and I had fallen straight into his trap. I was defenseless now, exposed before him, my one shot wasted.
"You underestimated me." His voice was laced with smug superiority. "Did you really think I’d give you a loaded gun so easily? I just wanted to see if you had it in you to pull the trigger." He stepped closer, his stare making my skin crawl. "And you failed."
A cold realization washed over me. This was just a game to him. My pulse pounded as he closed the distance, his hand suddenly wrapping around my throat.
“You think I wouldn’t kill you over just five hundred million dollars?” he hissed, his grip tightening. I struggled against his hold, but just then, Carlos appeared, approaching him with urgency.
“Boss, We have a problem,” Carlos whispered, glancing at me briefly before speaking. Kai released me, but the threat in his gaze lingered.
“What’s the issue this time?” Kai asked, lighting a cigarette with a casual disdain that made my skin prickle.
Carlos leaned in, voice low, but i could still hear him “It’s about the account the money was sent to. It’s an anonymous account—impossible to trace. We won’t find out who’s behind it that way.”
Kai exhaled, sending a plume of smoke into the air. His gaze flicked toward me with renewed irritation. “Forget the money. Get her killed. I don’t care about five hundred million if it means I don’t have to look at her again.”
Carlos hesitated, his voice softening in what seemed to be a rare moment of reason. “If we kill her, we lose our only lead. Whoever did this is still out there. No matter how much she irritates you, she’s our best shot at knowing our enemy.”
Kai was silent for a long moment, his eyes cold as they bore into mine. “Fine,” he finally muttered. “Do whatever works.”
Carlos nodded, then approached me slowly, his tone gentle “Amelia,” he began, his voice low, “I know you really hate this place, so I have a proposal for you.”
I looked at him with irritation. “What kind of proposal?”
He cleared his throat before speaking, “Kai is willing to make a deal. You breached our security system—no one else has been able to do that. We need someone with your skill to help us find the person who’s behind this.”
It was an unexpected offer, especially after what had just happened. “What’s in it for me?”
Carlos leaned in closer as he spoke, “Help us find who did this, and Kai will grant you your freedom. You’ll be safe and able to leave this life behind.”
 “And I’m just supposed to take Kai’s word for it? how am i sure he’ll keep his promise?” I asked, not convinced
Carlos took a deep breath, his face softening. “I won’t lie to you, Amelia. Trust is complicated here. But if you help us, Kai will keep his promise. And I’ll ensure your safety until it’s done.”
I glanced back at Kai, his unreadable gaze fixed on me. My mind raced. Freedom was tempting, but aligning with him was a risk. Yet, in this twisted game, maybe it was the only card I had left to play.
After a beat of silence, I finally looked back at Carlos, feeling both the determination and the fear coursing through me. "Alright," I said, voice steady. "I’ll help. But only if you can guarantee my safety and hold up your end of the deal."
Carlos nodded, relief flickering across his face. "You have my word, Amelia."
I hesitated, then asked, “Can I...also get paid for the job?” His eyebrows shot up, my question definitely came as a shock to him
“Kai isn’t the only one who got played, you know? I was scammed, too. I was supposed to get ten percent of that five hundred million, and instead, I got nothing,” I said, casting a sharp look toward Kai, who watched us with a cold stare. “And I think I deserve a little health compensation after getting shot by that jerk.”
Carlos let out a sigh but nodded. “I’ll inform Kai of your request. You’ll begin your training tomorrow. You’ll need to learn how to handle firearms so you don’t rely on Kai’s protection all the time.”
I crossed my arms. “If I’m working for him, he should be responsible for my safety.”
Carlos’ sighed, his expression didn’t look convincing at all. “I can guarantee your freedom when this is over, Amelia. But while you’re working for him...no one’s safety is certain. Kai’s made plenty of enemies, and anyone connected to him becomes a target. He doesn’t care who gets killed on his behalf. This life can be brutal, and he’s the kind of man who replaces people the second they’re gone.” Carlos gave me a long look. “You still have time to decide if this is really what you want.”
“And if I back out?”
Carlos’s face was grim. “Then you die, quickly and painlessly. No pay.”
“Of course.” I clenched my fists, swallowing hard. “But if I work with him, I might just make it out alive.”
Carlos didn’t reply. He simply turned and walked away, leaving me to weigh my decision alone.
************************
The next day, Carlos escorted me to a secluded training facility, surrounded by high walls and armed guards. It felt like I was entering a fortress, a stark reminder of the dangerous path I’d chosen. Inside, I met a team of instructors—experts in everything from firearms to hand-to-hand combat and surveillance. They didn’t waste time on pleasantries, pushing me to my limits from day one.
Days blurred into weeks as I threw myself into the exhausting routine. I drilled relentlessly, learning to handle firearms with precision, feeling their weight and understanding their mechanisms. I practiced over and over until I could hit a target with confidence, no hesitation. Martial arts followed, and I learned how to disarm attackers, turn my surroundings into weapons, and evade with every ounce of strength I could summon.
I and Carlos somehow grew closer, i don’t even know how that happened
“When do I get an actual gun? This thing looks like a toy,” I grumbled, turning the small weapon over in my hand.
Carlos chuckled. “You don’t need anything more than that to protect yourself right now.”
“Of course. Kai doesn’t trust me,” I said with a dry smile. “I’d probably shoot him if I had the chance.”
Just as I spoke, I felt a shift in the room. I turned to see Kai himself, watching me with that unreadable look. Carlos took his cue and left us alone, the tension rising again as he walked towards me.
"I see you’re getting comfortable here," Kai said, a hint of mockery in his voice. "But I’m curious—how far have you gotten?”
I met his gaze, refusing to let him know that I’m intimidated by him “Did you get my request for payment?”
A smirk tugged at his lips as he began to circle me. “You still have the nerve to ask for money after swindling me?”
“Am I asking for too much?” I shot back, my tone sarcastic.
His smirk deepened, but before he could respond, I lunged at him, unleashing everything I’d learned. My punches and kicks came fast, every move fuelled by frustration and anger, but he countered each attack effortlessly with very minimal effort. I realized quickly that he was toying with me, only exerting enough effort to keep me at bay without hurting me.
This made me even more frustrated as I tried to land a single hit on Kai. Every punch, every kick felt like striking solid rock, leaving my body aching and bruised, but I refused to give up. Gathering all of the little strength left in me, I launched at him—only for him to swiftly counter and pin me down.
“Enough,” he said, his voice edged with disappointment and superiority. “What has Carlos even been teaching you?”
Lying there, breathing hard, I ignored his question, even though i knew that trying to fight him was really embarrassing as i kept losing to him, i still didn’t want to give him the pleasure of finding out how weak i was. “Are you really going to let me go if I manage to track down the hackers?”
Kai’s gaze lingered on me for a long moment. He released his grip and stood, extending a hand to pull me up. “Maybe,” he replied, voice softer.
“Don’t say ‘maybe.’ You have to keep your word!” I said, my voice rising slightly in frustration.
He turned, a glint of warning in his eyes. “watch your tone, Amelia, unless you have a death wish,” he said, coldly. “Prepare yourself—you’ll be on your first assignment tomorrow. It’s in Mexico. Dress formally, and keep it decent.”
********************************
The next morning, I stuffed my things into my luggage, realizing, embarrassingly, that I didn’t have a single “official” outfit. All Bianca had bought me were casual clothes, except for one dress—a black, tight-fitting, low-cut number. I frowned, shoving it into the bag just as Carlos appeared at the door.
“Flight leaves in five minutes. You don’t want to keep Kai waiting.”
I glanced up. “As you can see, I’m not even dressed yet. Tell your boss to piss off if he’s too impatient,” I muttered, still struggling with the zipper.
“You don’t have to be formally dressed right now,” Carlos said with a small sigh. “You’ll have time to change when we get there.”
I threw my hair up into a messy bun, tugged on my oversized hoodie, and dragged my heavy luggage out. As we walked to Kai’s private runway, I couldn’t help but scoff at the sheer extravagance.
“Who builds their own runway and buys an entire fleet of private jets instead of just… going to an airport?”
“Privacy,” Carlos replied. “Kai hates sharing anything public.”
As we boarded, I made sure to sit as far from Kai as possible, keeping to my corner of the luxurious jet. Six hours later, we landed in Mexico City on yet another private landing strip. Outside, a sleek white limousine awaited us. After a short drive, we pulled up to an enormous hotel—practically the size of an estate. I recognized it from a news segment before my abduction.
“Hotel Bianco…” I squinted at the Italian word on the sign.
“Hotel Bianco Reale,” Kai corrected as he stepped out.
“Is this one of your properties?” I found myself asking, glancing around at the immaculate grounds. “You must be raking it in. This place looks like a vacation spot.”
“It’s not a commercial property,” he replied. “It’s reserved for meetings concerning the Alessandro family.”
I shook my head, amazed. “Why waste so much money when you could rent a conference hall?”
“Confidentiality,” Carlos piped up, catching up with us and hauling Kai’s luggage.
Kai paused just inside the entrance, issuing a clipped order. “Carlos, take her to her room and help her with anything she needs for the meeting tonight.” Then, as if remembering something, he added, “And make sure it’s a black dress—decent, unrevealing. Meeting’s at 8:00 p.m. sharp.”
“Yes,” I mumbled, biting back my annoyance.
Kai turned slightly, eyeing me. “Yes what?”
“...Yes, sir,” I said with an eye roll, trying to swallow my irritation. He took a step closer, looking down at me, his gaze sharp.
“You’ve got some attitude problem. But if you’re hoping to survive this, I suggest you lose the attitude. This is the last time I’ll remind you about provoking me.” His voice was calm, almost unnervingly so. “I’ll see you at 8:00.”
He turned and walked away, finally out of sight.
Once I was sure he couldn’t hear, I muttered, “No one tells me what to do, Kai. I’d love to see what you’d do if I didn’t follow your precious orders.”