Agent 003

Deception

Ayleen was finally conscious, slumped against the couch, her face pale but her eyes sharp. Tristan sat next to her with his arm around her.

Monica and Mstaphen stood nearby, quiet. Monica's expression was neutral, her eyes focused on her daughter.

Mstaphen, though, was different. His jaw clenched slightly, and his fingers twitched, like he was holding back more than just words. He didn't need to speak to show his anger—you could feel it coming off him.

There was no panicking they were actually calm. The weird kind of calm.

As for me? I was waiting for her to expose me. I already had the penthouse memorized, and I already had a plan for my escape. But fighting them all by myself was going to be hard. It's not like I had any other choice. I wasn't going to just accept my death without fighting.

Baron broke the silence. "Why did the CIA capture you, What did they want?"

Here it comes. This is it.

Staying calm, I shifted my weight slightly, ready to act—whether to escape or fight.

Ayleen, slumped against the couch, "I don't know."

What?

"What do you mean you don't know?"

Yeah, what does she mean?

"I don't remember," Ayleen replied.

Mstaphen moved to sit next to her. "Sweetheart, how can you forget something like that?"

Exactly. How?

"They gave me electric shocks. It messed with my head. I can't remember why they captured me or anything related to it," she said, sighing.

Just then, the elevator doors slid open, grabbing everyone's attention.

Zayn stepped out first, followed by two other men, both of them dragging someone between them.

His knees scraped against the floor as they hauled him forward by the arms. His face was swollen and bruised, blood crusted around his mouth and nose.

They threw him down in front of everyone, forcing him to his knees.

Zayn spoke up. "He's the one. The CIA agent who captured Ayleen."

Shit. I know him. He's a low-ranking agent. We've talked before. He knows my identity.

He looked up, his eyes narrowing as they locked on me. This is bad.

Monica stepped forward. Without a word, she grabbed him by the back of his head, her grip iron-tight, making him flinch. She yanked his head up, forcing him to meet her gaze.

"Why did you capture her?" Monica's voice was cold, void of emotion. "What did the CIA want with my daughter?"

His face twisted in pain, struggling to speak. "I-I captured her because she was a big catch... When I had the chance, I took it. Brought her back to the agency."

He winced as Monica's grip tightened, her fingers digging into his scalp. His voice wavered. "I thought... bringing her in... would get me a promotion."

Monica hummed in understanding, calmly letting go of his hair and placing her hands behind her back.

I noticed how Mstaphen exchanged a glance with her, getting up from the couch and walking to a nearby table. He opened a drawer and pulled something out.

"Never in my life has someone dared to mess with us," Monica said, her eyes darkening as she leaned closer to him.

She grabbed his neck roughly, pulling him toward her. "And now you, a nobody, dared to touch my blood?" She shoved him back.