Her Freedom (2)

- Club Velvet

Liling and Shen Ru walked into the nightclub, a familiar haunt for the both of them. The strobing lights and booming music enveloped them as they skillfully manoeuvred their way through the throng of dancers on the crowded floor.

They attached themselves to the stools at the bar - their usual spots-as they watched the meticulous drink-making process of the bartenders 

In the background, "Twenty-one Reasons" by Nathan Dawe and Ella Henderson filled the air, infusing the space with a sense of lightness.

"Hey Xing", Shen Ru said breaking the silence between them as she waved to one of the bartenders.

Hu Xing was part of their assassin trio, and they had strengthened their camaraderie for 11 years. He was six foot one with blond shoulder-length hair in a low bun, and he always wore a small to proudly showcase his charming set of dimples,

"Let me guess, Liling got summoned again?", he leaned on the counter as he playfully questioned the two women

"Yep, once again", Shen Ru responded

"Save jobs for the rest of us then", he teased,

Their organization's "assassins" operated within a hierarchy system. They were tested and grouped into ten ranks, from F to S++, with F being the lowest rank and S++ being the highest. The number of jobs, the difficulty level of their assignments, and even their pay were dependent on this ranking system. Liling was a level S+ assassin, while Shen Ru and Hu Xing were A-ranked. Consequently, Liling was assigned a few more jobs than both of them.

As the clock neared ten, Liling excused herself from the discussion, leaving the others to carry on without her. The boss specifically wanted to see her, so she preferred not to involve anyone else.

She walked down the corridor to a storeroom and discreetly went in. To anyone who entered, it appeared to be like any other storeroom, with dusty boxes and shelves, nothing special. However, upon closer inspection, a metal door could be seen peeking through several boxes. She made her way to the door and entered a special combination of numbers on a well-hidden keypad. The door immediately slid up, revealing an empty elevator, the entrance to their underground location

The elevator door opened as it reached its destination, and she stepped into another lounge.

The Assassins' Lounge.

It was much quieter than the club upstairs, but there were still drinks being served and people socializing.

She walked down a long passageway, ignoring everyone on the way. She came to a big red door and posted right in front of it, was the Boss' secretary.

"Liling, good, Boss just asked about you", she said opening the door, she gave a little wave as she watched her walk in and slowly shut the door behind her.

"Good, you're here, On time as always" her boss' voice resounded in the room as she stood in front of his desk. This would intimidate most people but Liling looked unperturbed as she stood in front of his desk

He was young, with an air of arrogance about him. His cunning green eyes always seemed to be scheming, but there was always a smile plastered on his face. It wasn't a normal one though, it never reached his eyes.

She met the smiling gaze of her boss emotionless, but his smile seemed to hold many emotions though, ones she could never decipher, not that she wanted to, she didn't give a damn about his mind games, never had, never would.

"First, I have to commend you, seven jobs in three days, you never cease to impress Liling. But I called you here to assign you a new job. I'm confident you won't disappoint.

"I don't want it", her expression didn't waver as she spoke, and neither did her tone,

He raised a brow as he propped his hands on his desk, "And why is that?"

"I'm quitting"

He let out a boisterous laugh as if it was the funniest thing he'd heard all year "Leave?, Tsk", he clicked his tongue in mock disappointment, "Liling, I expected more from you"

No reply, she stared at him, irked at his mocking but giving nothing away

He turned serious again, "I'm afraid you can't quit" he gave a short pause while gauging her expression, "You owe me"

"I'll pay my debt off, every last penny, if you give me the amount you need, I will", She didn't care if she had to work her entire life to pay off the money, she'd find a way, she refused to remain a slave to them. To him.

"If you pay us, how then are you going to take care of your little brother, who is currently only alive on my account",

His eyes bore into hers, filled with contempt, and his tone tinged with mockery reminding her that she owed him everything, that she was nothing but a pawn that he could effortlessly manipulate, and that was all she would ever amount to.

She fell silent once more, her icy demeanour transformed into pure hatred, her eyes emitting a lethal expression. It was as if her gaze could shoot a hundred bullets, leaving him writhing in a pool of blood with a multitude of bullet holes in his chest.