Silent strike
CHAPTER 5
“That dress doesn’t worth a hold on your body, and I don’t mind taking it off you to awe your full glory.”
Kaia’s eyes narrowed as she read the note. A slow, knowing smirk curved her lips, though her heart thudded with a mix of thrill and caution. Her gaze dropped to the address below:
“Golden’s Paradise.”
A five-star hotel, just a street away from Imperial Haven. The location was perfect, the timing precise. Kaia inhaled, forcing herself calm, and rose from her seat. With deliberate grace, she headed toward the exit, each step measured, controlled.
As expected, he followed. By the time she reached the parking lot, he was there, standing just a pace behind her.
“You’re even more beautiful up close.” His voice dripped with predatory charm. His eyes roamed her body openly, dark and hungry, lingering over her curves and cleavage with a perverse fascination.
Kaia felt a spark of irritation ignite within her. She lifted her chin, cutting through his gaze. “Are you just going to stare at me, or are we actually going somewhere?”
“Yes… yes, let’s go. Tonight will be… unforgettable.” He opened the car door for her with exaggerated politeness, licking his lips as if savoring the thought of her.
Kaia ignored the lingering danger in his stare. Tonight, he wouldn’t leave alive.
They arrived at Golden Paradise and entered his suite.
He disappeared into the bathroom, the faint sound of running water echoing behind the door. Then came a knock.
“Room service,” a soft female voice called.
Kaia opened the door just enough to take the small bag. The attendant left immediately, leaving her alone. Her pulse quickened as she opened the bag.
Inside rested a pistol.
Her breath caught, but she forced herself calm, her fingers trembling slightly as she checked it. A silencer was attached. She had never fired a gun, but years of thriller shows gave her a rough understanding.
The gun was cocked, ready to fire. Sliding the bag under the bed, Kaia began a desperate search for the suitcase. She locked the bathroom door to keep him contained while she hunted.
Mattress lifted, couch overturned, wardrobes rifled—panic clawed at her chest. Then her foot struck something hollow.
A tile.
Bending down, she knocked, confirming the hollow echo. With careful hands, she lifted it, revealing an underground room.
“Sweetie, I’ll be with you in a second!” His voice called from the bathroom, casual, oblivious.
Kaia’s pulse thundered. She held her breath, forcing her voice calm. “Okay, love. I’m waiting.”
The underground room was a forbidden treasure trove—illegal drugs displayed with dangerous elegance, each sachet a reminder of what she was up against.
Her eyes immediately found the black suitcase, perched neatly against the wall like a dark jewel.
She grabbed it, confirming the contents: three green packets, distinct from the rest, and beside them, a golden flash drive.
“Good,” she whispered, locking the suitcase. Relief barely touched her when violence erupted.
A hand gripped her wrist like iron, another slammed across her face, leaving a sharp sting. Kaia crumpled, pain flaring, and for a brief second, terror surged through her.
She lifted her eyes—his.
“How did he get out?” Her heart pounded, each beat echoing in her ears.
“You want to leave before the fun starts?” His grin was razor-sharp, twisted with menace.
Kaia rose, forcing every muscle to steady.
“Very well then,” she said, her voice calm, but each word sharpened with defiance. She took a step forward.
A towel clung to his waist; his chest gleamed under the suite lights, a stark contrast of vulnerability and threat. Kaia tightened her grip on the pistol bag, her fingers trembling slightly with controlled adrenaline.
He grabbed her neck, crushing the air from her lungs, his other hand tracing her cheek in cruel mockery.
“No one comes this far and survives.”
Kaia’s mind raced. Danger burned in every nerve. Slowly, deliberately, she drew the gun.
“We’ll see about that.” Her grin was sharp, unyielding.
Her knee shot upward, hitting his groin with brutal precision. He groaned, releasing her, pain twisting his face.
Kaia didn’t hesitate. She aimed, her finger tightening.
The gun fired silently. He collapsed, lifeless, blood pooling beneath him.
She checked his pulse once, confirming death. Her hands trembled, but she forced herself steady, placing the gun back into the bag. She grabbed the suitcase and her purse containing her flight ticket.
Through the pinhole of the door, five bodyguards stood like statues. Exiting normally would be suicide. She needed a distraction.
Glancing at the wall clock—10 PM—her mind raced. She called reception, requesting alcohol.
Minutes later, the doorbell rang. A female attendant appeared with a tray. Kaia acted quickly: covering the woman’s mouth, snapping her neck, laying her unconscious on the couch. She stripped the uniform off the woman and donned it herself.
Sliding the suitcase and pistol into the tray, she moved with precision. The guards never flinched, and she passed them as if one of their own.
Outside, she hailed a taxi and raced to the airport. In the restroom, she shed the uniform, blending seamlessly with the boarding crowd.
By 10:15 PM, she was at the gate. Her name was called, and she moved forward.
A notification pinged on her phone:
“Hand over the suitcase and the bag to the man beside you.”
She glanced sideways. A man in a security uniform stood there, calm, imposing. Her gut tensed, but she obeyed, every nerve alert.
Tonight, she had survived the impossible, and she would not fail now.
