Clandestine Contracts

𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒔

"Is that how you make a threat? Calling my ex and then sending your family?" Jade questioned Eden, his voice laced with infatuation.

'Oh, so it wasn't a betrayal?' Jade's anger was directed at Eden's cheap trick. Sheena felt a wave of relief wash over her, her soul returning to her body.

Jade glanced at Sheena, who immediately looked away.

"You're such a scaredy-cat." Jade taunted Eden. "Sending your minions instead of coming yourself? If you have guts, come alone, you bastard!" With that, Jade slammed the earpiece against the phone and stepped out.

Sheena took a step back from the phone booth, her eyes fixed on Jade's calm demeanor despite the frown on his face.

"Let's go." Jade said, starting to walk in the direction they came from while keeping a watchful eye on Sheena.

As they walked, Sheena couldn't contain her questions anymore. "We came all the way here just to make a call? And now we'll go back to our car, right?"

Jade stopped a few meters away from their house, sat down on a random bench on the footpath, and motioned for Sheena to do the same. His expression was calm, his gaze fixed on his hands. "No." he said, his voice low.

Sheena kept standing, looking down at Jade. "Why?" she asked.

Before Jade could respond, a bomb blast shook the air in the direction of their house. Sheena ducked, her head jerking down in fear as the sound echoed through the streets.

Car pieces scattered everywhere, some landing on the road. People around them gasped, stopped in their tracks, or ran frantically.

Jade, however, remained calm, motioning with his thumb towards the explosion. "That's why." he said, his voice steady.

Sheena's thoughts flashed, 'Maybe I shouldn't question Jade's actions...' She sat down beside him on the bench, mirroring his gesture of staring at his hands.

"What now?" she asked blankly.

Jade's response was calm, "Now, we wait."

—Thus they waited.

The sirens of the fire brigade pierced the air as they extinguished the remaining flames from the blast.

The police were present, but they seemed more like bystanders, observing the scene with a mixture of curiosity and caution.

It was clear they didn't want to interfere in the mafia's business. They didn't bother to investigate the house or gather clues, likely fearing retaliation. A sensible decision, given the circumstances.

Soon, a black car pulled up in front of Jade and Sheena. Sheena's instincts kicked in, and she took a few cautious steps back. However, Jade's calm demeanor reassured her that this was expected. The car's tinted glass obscured the occupants' identities, but Sheena recognized it as a common local model.

Jade stood up, adjusted his hoodie, and walked over to the car. He opened the back door and looked at Sheena. "You coming or not?"

She hesitated briefly before responding, "I am." She walked over to the other side of the car and opened the door.

As she slid in, the scent of cigarette smoke and leather filled her nostrils, prompting a slight grimace. She looked at Jade questioningly, but he simply said, "This is our ride." his tone more like an order to get in.

Sheena joined him, slamming the car door shut a bit more forcefully than intended. Neither Jade nor the driver commented on it.

Thinking of that, the driver, a woman behind a mask and sunglasses, was a mystery.

Jade ordered, "Let's go." and the driver started driving.

Throughout the ride, Sheena's condition worsened due to the suffocating atmosphere and the smell. She clutched her seat tightly, her face pale.

"Hey, you good?" Jade asked, his voice surprisingly soft. He looked at her with concern.

"Open the windows." he instructed the driver.

"But, sir—"

"I said open them now," Jade's glare silenced any further protest. The driver murmured under her breath before rolling down the window on Sheena's side, allowing fresh air to rush in.

Sheena's hair blew wildly, and Jade gently tucked it behind her ear. He produced a small tablet from his hoodie pocket.

"Eat this." he said, placing the tablet in her mouth before she could respond. The salty, slightly sour taste made her mouth water, but it began to alleviate her nausea. However, it didn't completely eliminate it.

The driver unexpectedly spoke up. "Close your eyes, lean against the backrest, and take deep breaths." Jade nodded and guided Sheena's shoulders against the seat. "Relax." he whispered.

Sheena closed her eyes and soon found herself drifting into a deep slumber.

𖤓

Sheena's eyes fluttered open in a room so white it was almost blinding. The white sheets, walls, and shelves seemed to envelop her, with only a few colorful decorations and a vibrant painting behind the bed breaking the monotony. Despite the artwork, the overall atmosphere felt sterile, like a room suspended in a void.

But how did she end up here? She wasn't a heavy sleeper, so the fact that she had been transported without noticing was unsettling. The thought crossed her mind that she might have been given a sleeping drug, but she pushed it aside.

Just then, the door swung open, a door that blended seamlessly into the wall, making it nearly invisible.

Jade walked in, carrying a small tray with a warm smile on his face. "Oh, you're awake," he said, his eyes lighting up. "I made soup for you."

He placed the tray on the bedside table and sat down beside her.

Sheena was taken aback by his genuine smile; it made him look almost... cute.

"What?" Jade asked, catching her staring at him.

"Um, nothing." she said, quickly averting her gaze.

A question formed in her mind, and she couldn't help but ask, "How did I get here?"

Jade's response was laced with amusement. "By my hand, of course." He scoffed, still smiling.

Sheena's curiosity got the better of her. "But where are we?"

Jade's expression turned serious. "We're at a safe location. Don't worry." He stood up, his movements fluid. "Finish the soup."

As he headed toward the door, he paused and turned back to her. "I'll be busy, so feel free to roam around the house on your own." He flashed a wide smile before walking out.

Sheena couldn't shake off the feeling that Jade was acting strangely. His behavior seemed... Off.

After finishing the soup, Sheena quickly left the monochromatic room, only to find that the entire house was similarly decorated in white.

She wondered why anyone would choose such a sterile environment. As she stood on the white floor, a fleeting thought crossed her mind 'it would look striking with bloodstains.' She promptly pushed the morbid idea aside.

The house lacked any distinctive features that would make it attractive. It felt more like a clinical asylum than a home and headed to the lounge to watch TV, feeling bored.

Sheena sat on the couch, turned on the TV, and began scrolling through channels. However, her mind soon wandered, and she started flipping channels mindlessly. There was nothing interesting on.

While fiddling with a loose bead on her dress, it popped off and fell somewhere on the floor. Sheena put the remote aside and started searching for the bead. Meanwhile, the TV was on a news channel discussing a businessman who had gone missing. When she heard the name 'Jade.' her attention snapped back to the TV.

"𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑪𝑬𝑶 𝒐𝒇 𝑬𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒓𝒑 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑾𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒏. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒇𝒊𝒂, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆."

Sheena's eyes widened as she processed the news. "So Eden is framing Jade? There's no way Jade is involved with the mafia. In fact, he's protecting me from them." She scoffed, frowning. "Only if they knew the truth." she murmured.

Suddenly, Jade appeared behind her, startling her. He was holding a handgun and looking down at her.

Sheena's gaze shifted from his face to the gun. "What's this... for?"

"Oh, this?" Jade moved the gun slightly, a hint of amusement in his voice. "We're training. I'm going to teach you how to shoot a gun."

Sheena's eyes widened in surprise. "What? Why?"

Jade raised an eyebrow. "What makes you ask such a silly question? I can't protect you all the time. You need to know how to protect yourself too."

Without further explanation, they found themselves in a hidden training room designed for gun practice. Targets were placed at varying distances, similar to a video game setup. A thin table separated them from the target zone. Jade handed her the gun and instructed her to shoot.

Sheena looked at the gun, feeling its weight in her hands. 'What if the shell flew back and hit her face?' she thought.

Seeing her hesitation, Jade took action, standing behind her to adjust her position. He placed his hands on her arms, guiding them into the correct stance, and then adjusted her grip on the gun. "Like this." he whispered, his voice low and calm.

For Jade, this seemed like a routine task, but Sheena was a flustered mess. The way he touched her was anything but casual, sending shivers down her spine. His hands on hers, his face close to her ear, and his breath on her skin all combined to create a sensory overload. She felt butterflies in her stomach and goosebumps on her skin, her palms growing sweaty.

Her mind went blank, and her body seemed to move on autopilot, following Jade's instructions without conscious thought. But she couldn't shake off the feeling of his closeness, the way he leaned in, his chin almost touching her shoulder. It was distracting, and she wondered why they hadn't fired a single bullet yet.

Just as suddenly, Jade stepped back, and Sheena missed the warmth of his body. "It's getting hot in here." he said, fanning himself with his hand and removing his hoodie to reveal a white T-shirt underneath. His ears were flushed, and for a moment, Sheena wondered if he was blushing or just feeling the heat.

Jade placed his hoodie on a nearby chair and looked at her expectantly, taking slow steps toward her.

Sheena held her breath, feeling equally nervous about what was about to happen. She didn't know Jade well, but she couldn't deny the strange connection she felt when he touched her.

As Jade approached her, his eyes locked onto hers, and he reached out to gently hold her arm. "Sheena..." he began, his voice soft but laced with an underlying tension she couldn't quite pinpoint.

Just as she looked up at him expectantly, her heart racing, his phone rang in his pocket, shattering the moment.

Jade cleared his throat, took out the phone, and excused himself. "I need to take this." stepping out of the room to answer the call.

She stood alone, her disappointment and growing feelings swirling inside her. Frustrated with herself, she bit her lip and let out a sigh.

Her gaze wandered around the room, landing on his hoodie. She found herself drawn to it, wanting to smell it. But something protruding from the pocket caught her attention.

Curious, she pulled it out, and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. Sleeping pills. No way. The scent matched the tablet he gave her in the car. He'd used sleeping pills on her? Why? Betrayal and heartbreak washed over her. Their love story hadn't even begun, and yet it was already crumbling. Or maybe it was never meant to be.

Jade returned with a smile, but it faltered as he noticed Sheena's troubled expression and the pills in her hand. "Sheena, it's not what you think—"

"Shut up! I trusted you, and you betrayed me!" she snapped. "I overlooked your strange behavior because I trusted you, but I never thought it would turn out like this!"

Jade's expression turned icy, reminiscent of their first meeting. "You're making it sound like I did this out of spite. Let me clarify, I did it to protect you."

"By drugging me?" she spat, her voice laced with venom.

He stepped closer, his voice low and firm. "Precisely."

"F*ck you!" She hit his chest. "I don't want to talk to you!" She stormed out of the room.

"You seem to forget your current situation." Jade's voice followed her, loud enough for her to hear.

She knew she was trapped, with the mafia bastard still after her. Jade's protection came at a steep price, the thought of him manipulating her made her heart ache. She thought he was different, but he was worse.

The day passed in silence, with no interaction between them. But Jade wasn't around either. It was as if Jade had vanished. But Sheena was too upset to care.

At night, Sheena sat alone on the couch in the dimly lit room, dry tears streaking her cheeks.

Then the doorbell rang, and she tensed up, expecting Jade to answer it. But she didn't want to rely on him, so she got up and headed to the door. Anger clouded her judgment, and she swung open the door to a nightmare.

—𝐄𝐝𝐞𝐧.

"Well, well, look who's here." Eden sneered, stepping inside.

Sheena panicked and stepped back. "What are you doing here?"

He lunged at her, pinning her against the wall. "Can't I visit my OWN place without permission?" His low, deep voice sent chills down her spine.

Her eyes widened in horror. She needed help, so she begrudgingly called out for Jade. "Jade! Help me!" But Eden's smirk grew, and he released her, stepping back to reveal Jade standing calmly behind him, adjusting his cufflinks.

"How does it feel to be betrayed by your knight in shining armor?" Eden taunted.