Clandestine Contracts

𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒔

"She had nothing on her." The certain air hostess spoke.

A robotic voice responded from the other end, distorted by a voice changer. "Did you check thoroughly?"

"Yes, I did. You need to stop being a paranoid." The black-haired woman spoke nonchalantly.

The voice on the other end remained calm and composed but replied to her with a hint of warning.

"It's not about being paranoid, it's about being cautious. That bastard is learning how to fly and we need to act before he gets the opportunity to spread his wings."

The black-haired woman responded with a hint of indifference, her tone casual. "Sounds like a 'you' problem, but as long as I'm getting paid-"

But before she could finish her sentence, the person on the other end interrupted her firmly. "You'll get your reward nicely if you do your work properly." With this, the line went dead.

𖤓

"You were right. I was being followed." Safira spoke as she placed the file on the table.

Now standing Infront of Eden, who sat casually lounging in his office chair with his legs propped up on the table, flicking a lighter in his hand. His gaze was fixed ahead, and his sharp eyes held a focused expression. A laptop was open on the table in front of him, displaying a specific location.

"Did you see the face?" Eden questioned.

Safira responded with a firm nod. "Yes, I did."

Eden's gaze remained fixed ahead. "Do you remember it?"

Safira replied confidently. "As clear as the blue sky."

Eden shifted in his seat, his hand reaching for a small passport-sized photo on the table. He flipped the photo around, presenting it to Safira's view. "Did the person happen to look like this?"

Safira's eyes widened for a moment at the sight. The same black hair, the same green eyes. There was no doubt about it; it was the air hostess. She opened her mouth to speak, intending to ask a question. "How did you-"

However, as she caught sight of Eden's penetrating gaze, she immediately understood that he was only interested in a definite yes or no. She swallowed back any remaining words and firmly confirmed, "Yes..."

"Good."

"But who is she?" Safira couldn't contain her curiosity.

"Someone who isn't of your concern." A slight pause. "Well atleast for now."

He stopped fiddling with the lighter, placing it on the table before him. His attention focused on the laptop, a red dot highlighting a location in Shanghai's Thames Town district.

Eden turned his gaze back to Safira, issuing a clear instruction. "Cut off all ties between this hideout and Rosalyn's access."

"Cut off all the connections? But that would be quite difficult..." She spoke with uncertainty. a slight frown on her face at the implications of the situation.

Eden leaned back in his chair, staring at her with a hard expression. "And? Do you have a problem with that order?"

Safira swallowed nervously at his intense gaze, intimidated but trying to maintain her composure. "No... I don't have a problem." She replied.

"How much time will it take?" Eden asked.

Safira thought for a moment, her mind running through the logistics of the mission. "Well, considering the complexity and the security measures in place, I estimate it will take a few days to fully cut off the connections." She replied, trying to sound confident although her voice wavered slightly.

"How. Much. Time?" eden growled.

She flinched slightly at his tone, feeling the pressure mounting. "At least five days..." She answered with slight unease.

"Three days." Eden spoke his words final.

" T... Three days? B-but that's-" She stammered, clearly taken aback by the strict timeframe.

"Did I hesitate?" He gave her a sharp look.

"No.. you didn't." She replied quickly.

"Ok. Then get to work and finish it in three days."

"Yes. I'll try-"

"Don't try. It's already too much time. I want it done." Eden spoke. "You may go now." Eden nodded at the door.

"Yes, boss." With this she turned and left the room.

Eden was left alone once again in the silent room. With a graceful move, he removed his legs from the table and picked up the brown folder that Safira had left behind.

He slowly opened the folder, his expression turning stern and taut. He pulled out the papers and briefly scanned their contents, it was a birth certificate and information related to Sheena.

However, he did not completely unfold the papers, instead pulling out his lighter and flicking it open with a soft click. He stared at the documents for a moment with a pensive look in his eyes.

The lighter's small flame began to devour the edges of the papers, burning them slowly as the orange flames reflected in his sharp gaze.

"𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲."

𖤓

A pair of sparrows perched on a nearby tree branch, chirping happily Infront of an opened window as the sunlight crept over the horizon.

The scene was a contrast to the tension of their situation.

Inside, the kitchen was a picture of quiet domesticity. Jade, dressed in a white hoodie and blue sweatpants, moved expertly around the space, his green bangs framing his face like a charming curtain.

Jade had a relaxed and approachable vibe about him now, putting Sheena at ease.

Dressed in a beige long frock adorned with delicate red floral patterns, her hair arranged in a messy bun, Sheena sat at the dining area connected to the kitchen, her hands joined on the table.

She watched Jade cook with a tender expression, a moment of tranquility in the midst of their surroundings, until her mind seemed to drift away in thought.

"Breakfast ready." Jade served the pancakes on a plate and set it on the table in front of Sheena. He took a seat across from her and poured himself a cup of coffee.

Jade glanced at Sheena, noticing her spaced-out expression.

"Earth to Sheena. Snap out of it." He waved his hand in front of her face, trying to draw her attention back.

She snapped back into reality and gave him a confused yet guilty look for zoning away.

"What happened?" Jade asked curiously.

Sheena shook her head. "N-nothing, nothing. Just thinking." She replied quickly, trying to brush off his observation.

She reached for her fork, intending to break off a piece of the pancake, but Jade swiftly took the plate away before she could even touch it.

Sheena was taken aback by Jade's action. "Hey! What was that for? I was about to eat!" She protested.

Jade shot her a sideways glance, his expression still stern as he spoke firmly.

"You're not eating anything unless you answer my question first."

Sheena rolled her eyes at his stubbornness.

"It's nothing serious. I was just thinking about the next move." She lied, not wanting to admit that she was thinking about their current situation and the strange chemistry between them.

Sheena then decided to share her concerns, voicing her confusion as she questioned their safety. "It is just that...how will we stay safe here? Like we are still in Shanghai. Not underground either...what type of hideout is situated in the middle of of city?"

Jade placed the plate on the table and leaned back in his chair, his gaze still fixated on her.

"That's exactly the point," he explained. "We shouldn't be in this city. We ought not to hide because no one would be foolish enough to roam around freely when a powerful mafia family is after us." He spoke proudly. " Besides, it works."

"Works?" Sheena frowned. "Have you been in this type of situation before?"

"No, its based on my assumptions. It's my first try too." He said with a shrug looking at her innocently.

Before Sheena could speak the telephone rang. The one that never worked when she sneakily tried to call her parents to tell them she was still alive.

But having a telephone in this modern era was a little out of place. Well this town was too so it shouldn't be a surprise.

"I've got it." Jade declared as he moved to answer the call.

Sheena observed Jade closely, picking up on the subtle shift in his demeanor. Though his tenseness was subtle, she detected it.

"Ok.." She took the opportunity to resume eating her pancakes, which tasted absolutely delicious.

Jade strode to the living room, where the telephone sat on a small coffee table beside the couch. He paused for a moment, staring at the ringing device, before finally lifting the receiver.

"....." He didn't say anything first.

A brief silence ensued, with the person on the other end eventually breaking it. The familiar and distinct voice of Rica resonated through the phone. "You've become quite skilled since we last crossed paths."

"How did you get access?" Jade's anger flared at the sound of her voice, the old wounds reopening which he thought had been healed.

Rica's mocking tone cut through. "I have my ways, darling." The endearment dripped with sarcasm.

Jade's tone turned cold. "What do you want?"

"Me? I just wanted to warn you to stay out of this and Sheena, or else—" Before Rica could finish, the line went dead, replaced by the hollow hum of silence.

Jade's jaw tightened as he placed the receiver back, his hand raking through his green locks in frustration. He leaned against the table, exhaling slowly to calm himself.

Then the doorbell's sudden chime shattered the tension. Jade's instincts kicked in; something was off as he gestured for Sheena to move closer, his other hand discreetly retrieving a pistol from the drawer.

Sheena sensed the tension and stepped closer to Jade, who positioned himself protectively in front of her.

The doorbell rang out again. Twice, thrice. Before falling silent.

"Stay here," Jade whispered, moving toward the door with the gun concealed behind his back.

As he opened it, he faced a man he'd only seen in a single photograph once: piercing blue eyes and snowy white hair was the man marked as danger.

"Hello there!" Chase's cheerful greeting was at odds with the situation as he took a step forward.

Jade matched Chase's step forward with one back, gun trained on him while shielding Sheena with his left arm.

"Hey, take it easy," Chase said, hands raised in mock surrender, a smile still plastered on his face. "You've done a great job keeping Sheena safe. Now hand her over. I'll take care of her."

Sheena's grip on Jade's arm tightened.

Jade's gaze flicked to her briefly before returning to Chase. "And what if I don't?"

Chase's smirk grew. "Oh, I mean no harm, I'm unarmed." He murmured, almost to himself. "Harm and unarmed... rhymes, doesn't it?" as he took another step forward.

Jade's gun remained trained on Chase's head. "Stay back and tell me who sent you?"

The ominous click of the safety emphasized Jade's resolve.

"Eden sent me," Chase began, his tone measured. "Don't worry, he told me about the contract and—"

A bullet whizzed past Chase's feet, making him flinch. Sheena's frightened yelp hung in the air.

Jade's face was set in stone, his determination clear: he wouldn't hand her over.

Chase's momentary surprise gave way to an amused grin, as if he'd anticipated the reaction. His hands dropped, and his expression transformed, shedding the facade of friendliness. The air seemed to chill as menace rolled off him like a palpable force.

"Looks like someone's grown a backbone, and he's trained his guard dog well." Chase said, his eyes narrowing with a grin of joy.

Jade's expression remained deadly serious. "If you take another step or try to follow us, the next bullet will be between your eyes."

"Don't worry, I won't." Chase slipped his hands into his pockets, his movements casual. "I was just here to verify something. Now that I've seen enough, I'll be on my way."

With a mock salute, his gaze locked onto Sheena for the first time, a sharp glint in his eyes that sent shivers down her spine. "Bye, bye, my dear 𝑆𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎."

With a final glance, Chase turned and departed in his car.

Once Jade was certain he was gone, he pried Sheena's grip from his arm and strode to a chair, running a hand through his hair.

The tension was palpable.

Sheena flinched as he pulled away, his movements abrupt. She hesitated, then approached him, her voice soft. "Are you okay?"

Jade's silence was oppressive, his gaze fixed on the floor. Finally, a low murmur escaped him. "We're leaving."

Sheena understood the urgency, but couldn't help asking. "Right now?"

Jade's gaze snapped up, his yellow eyes blazing with intensity. "Right now."

The words were laced with a warning. Sheena took a step back, nodded hastily, and hurried away to prepare for their departure.

Jade's guilt surged as he watched Sheena's reaction. "Dammit," he muttered sitting there for a moment before striding into her room.

He found her standing by the open briefcase, her hands paused. Taking a deep breath, he approached her, gently grasping her hand to turn her toward him.

His frown still lingered, but his voice softened. "Don't bother packing. We won't need it." His gaze met hers briefly before drifting to the clothes. "These aren't yours anyway."

Sheena's initial surprise gave way to understanding, this was Jade's way to apologize, however imperfect. She pulled her hand free. "Okay..."

An awkward silence hung between them before Jade broke it. "Just wear your shoes. I'll wait by the door."

He turned to leave, but Sheena's soft voice stopped him. "Wait..."

He paused, his back still turned, awaiting her words.

She fidgeted, her fingers twisting nervously. "I... I forgive you." Her words were barely audible. She could swear she heard a scoff coming from him.

He tilted his head, glancing back at her. "I didn't ask for your forgiveness." With that, he left the room.

Sheena felt a sting of hurt, regretting her words. If only she had stayed silent. "Stupid me," she thought, biting her lip in frustration.

After a moment, she sighed, slipped on her black sandals, and gave herself a final glance in the mirror.

Heading to grab her phone, but remembered he had thrown it away saying 'They could track us.' What was the point? they still found us.

Another sigh escaped her as she made her way to the main door, where Jade waited, leaning against the wall.

As he saw her, he straightened up, cleared his throat, and extended his hand. "Let's go."

She hesitated before taking Jade's hand, and they stepped out into the cobblestone streets of Thames Town.

Jade bypassed the parked car, opting for a walk instead. Shw wondered why he didn't take the car instead.

They strolled past Victorian-style buildings until they reached the market area, where Jade stopped one of the vintage red telephone booths.

He opened the door, instructing Sheena to wait outside as he makes a call. Though the door was still open.

He interested the coin and dialed a number and waited for the call to connect.

Soon the other person picked the call.

"Eden." he said firmly.

Sheena's eyes widened at the mention of the name that had haunted her.

Why was Jade contacting Eden?