Chapter 11

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Ray Valentino

Ray gazed at her reflection in the mirror, taking in the sight of a woman who seemed like a stranger. The familiar black uniform was gone, replaced by casual wear. Her hair was auburn and straight, pulled back into a neat ponytail. With the help of strategic makeup and contact lenses, her face had been transformed to match her new identity.

She was no longer the deadly Vixen, the feared agent. She was now a new hire of the Syndicate, named Layla Ricci.

She scrutinized her reflection one last time, mentally ticking off the checklist. Her look was on point, she had memorized her cover story inside and out, and she had stashed her tools in her bag. Everything was in order.

A knock on her door jerked her out of her inspection.

"You ready ?" Chan's voice came muffled through the door of her room in the safe house.

"Yeah." Ray turned away from the mirror and grabbed her bag.

When she opened the door, she found Chan standing in the hall, already dressed in his civilian clothes to represent his character, Kai Young. His hair was also dyed, black instead of the usual blond. He looked...

Ray stopped the thought before it could fully form.

She didn't allow herself to think about how good he looked in these clothes, with his hair pushed back from his forehead, emphasizing the sharp angles of his face. Nor about how it made his neutral expression seem even more cold, more detached. Nor about the contrast between the dark hair and white milky skin that sent a shiver down her spine. She pushed away any unwelcome thoughts and feelings that threatened to surface. She had a job to focus on.

Chan gave her an assessing glance, his dark eyes taking in every detail of her appearance.

"Looking good," he said, as if he was commenting on the weather.

His lack of expression gave nothing away, yet she knew him well enough to tell that he wasn't unaffected by her new appearance. His gaze lingered just a tad too long on her face, her hair, the way her clothes clung to her body.

He quickly looked away, breaking the moment. He cleared his throat, his hands clenching into fists in his pockets. "We should get going."

As he strolled down the hallway, he didn't bother to glance back and check if she was trailing behind. Ray noticed the slight strain in his voice and the overly careful, deliberate way he walked. It brought back memories of how he behaved before a mission - calm and collected, yet with an underlying unease that only a few could pick up on.

She followed suit, keeping pace with his longer strides in her heels. Her own emotions were chaos of excitement and worry.
This mission was dangerous, one of the riskiest.
They were going into the heart of the Syndicate, pretending to be new hires. No outside communication, no backup if things went awry. It was just the two of them against the rival criminal organization in the city. Yet it was also the chance they'd been waiting for, their opportunity to gather crucial information and deal a crippling blow to The Syndicate as a whole.

Ray stole a glance at him again, observing how his shoulders tensed beneath his shirt and his gaze was fixed ahead. Being around him was both reassurance and anxiety.
She knew he was running through different scenarios in his head, mentally preparing for every possible situation they could face during their infiltration. He always did that, analyzing and strategizing even before they had all the necessary information.

Her respect for him had always been overshadowed by her anger towards him, but she couldn't deny that he was a good leader.

They walked in silence for a while, the only sound being the click of their shoes on the pavement. Every now and then, he would glance around, subtly scanning their surroundings, searching for potential threats. His constant vigilance grated on her nerves, and she had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. She could handle herself, she didn't need him watching over her like a hawk.

Just as she was about to snap at him to stop being paranoid, he spoke up.

"Remember the plan. We go in, gather intel, get out. Don't take any unnecessary risks."

Ray couldn't help but scoff at his instruction. Of course, she remembered the plan. He had gone over it with her a hundred times already, and she had an excellent memory anyway. She didn't need him constantly reminding her to follow his orders.

She looked at him, a retort on the tip of her tongue, but something about his expression stopped her. His face remained impassive, but there was a tightness around his eyes that hadn't been there before. Was he... worried about her?

The notion seemed improbable, but it lingered in her mind, impossible to shake off. He was worried about her. Despite the tension between them, despite the cold silence and hostile interactions, he was still worried about her safety. The realization left her feeling strangely touched and annoyed at the same time.

The car ride was silent, aside from the occasional sound of traffic and the hum of the engine. Chan's eyes were focused on the road, his knuckles tight on the steering wheel. She could see the tendons in his forearms straining beneath his skin, the stress rolling off him in waves.

She wanted to break the heavy silence between them, but she couldn't find the words as always. They felt trapped in her throat, caught between nervousness, irritation, and an unwelcome tenderness.

As they approached their destination, the car slowed down and the entrance to the Syndicate's main headquarters came into view. The imposing building was all sharp edges and cold metal, looking more like a fortress than a workplace.

Chan parked the car with ease. He didn't speak, didn't look at her. But she could see the way his shoulders squared, his body as if preparing for a fight.

He took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the building. "Do you have your burner phone on you ?"

"I do."

He nodded, satisfied. Pausing for a moment, he composed himself and his gaze briefly met hers. It seemed like he was about to tell her something, but then decided against it.

"Let's go."

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