A DEAL

Biserka Apartments, Shanghai.

Biserka, who saw Benvolio's attitude like that, chuckled mockingly and said, "Your imagination is high, Mister mafia. Unfortunately, I don't know where the 'monster lair' you're looking for is, and I'm not a member of the organization you're hunting for."

Biserka continued, "It's very unreasonable the suspicions that you accuse me of. Didn't you make a deal with the mysterious man who has the code designation M? You already saw my data sent by him, and I think it's already clear state that I am an agent of the CIA."

"Oh yeah, one more thing, your emotions and suspicions are horrible. How could a sane person point a gun at his trusted assistant and not listen to his explanation? You mad mafia! I don't think my safety is guaranteed. On the contrary, I will be in danger if I continue under your watch," Biserka continued, grumbling in annoyance, and immediately looked away from Benvolio and Pavlo to the available workroom in her apartment.

Benvolio also felt his anxiety getting worse and could barely control it anymore. Sweat began to come out and pouring down all parts of his face and muscular body.

His breathing was very irregular. He sighed repeatedly and tried to calm himself down. Benvolio let go of the two pistols he had been holding and dropped them to the floor.

Pavlo, who saw Benvolio's condition getting worse, tried to calm him down and served him a glass of water.

"Ben, calm down, will you? Clear your mind again. Biserka isn't someone you should suspect. She's an official CIA agent and not a member of the 'monster lair'. We've seen information about him, haven't we?" Pavlo tries to explain to Benvolio so he can calm down and control his paranoia.

Benvolio nodded, confirming and agreeing with Pavlo's words.

He gulped down the glass of water that Pavlo had given him while trying to clear his mind.

Benvolio was diagnosed with paranoia when he was a teenager.

Paranoid itself is a psychological problem characterized by the emergence of excessive suspicion and fear.

Paranoid people tend to find it difficult or even distrustful of others and have a different mindset than most people. A typical symptom of a paranoid personality is that it is difficult or even impossible to trust other people.

People who have paranoid thoughts tend to think that other people have bad intentions towards them.

This disease makes people with paranoid disorders often independent in everything.

They emphasize that they must be able to work independently without depending on others.

In addition, people who have paranoid thoughts also tend to be perfectionists about various things.

People who have a paranoid personality will usually look stiff, closed, or show an indifferent attitude towards others in everyday life. This attitude is often shown to new people.

Some of these paranoid personality traits sometimes resemble other mental disorders, such as borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia.

Until now, psychologists or psychiatrists can not cure a paranoid personality disorder. However, sufferers can take several steps of medical treatment and psychotherapy to reduce the severity of symptoms and help paranoid sufferers to socialize and change their mindset for the better.

With treatment from a psychologist or psychiatrist, support from people around the sufferer also plays a significant role in helping sufferers who have paranoid thoughts experience symptom improvement.

Because Benvolio's paranoia also caused him to act like that to Biserka. He cannot immediately trust new people and is often suspicious of everyone he interacts with.

***

30 minutes later.

Biserka came out of her workroom and approached the two men again to discuss something related to the 'monster lair' and 'wild lions'.

"Hey, I'm sorry. What I said earlier seemed a bit too much." Biserka apologized to Benvolio for the words she said to Benvolio thirty minutes ago.

"Yes, I know I'm innocent." (*read with the meaning "Yes, I'm sorry to you too.")

"Tch," Biserka regretfully apologized to Benvolio.

"Why did you come to us again, Biserka?" asked Pavlo, wondering why she had approached the two of them again after a while ago, there was a dispute between Benvolio and Biserka.

Pavlo also wants to make sure Benvolio's condition is stable first, and he hopes Biserka doesn't trigger things that could bring the two of them back at each other.

Biserka approached the two of them and said, "I want to discuss our agreement."

Benvolio, who heard it, immediately turned to him. "What deal do you want to make? You have to remember, the deal you want to make must also give me an advantage," said Benvolio with an emphasis in all his statements.

"Yeah, you don't have to worry about this deal I put forward. You're looking for a 'monster's lair', aren't you?" Biserka answered while making sure Benvolio was looking for the 'monster's lair.'

"When I went to my workroom earlier, I did various searches again regarding my mission to find the 'wild lions'. And as a result, I found many similarities between the 'monster lair' you were looking for and the 'wild lions' I was looking for," Biserka said, explaining the information she had found to Benvolio and Pavlo.

Pavlo furrowed his brows, trying to digest Biserka's words. "Could they be the same organization?" Pavlo tries to express his assumptions.

Biserka then showed Benvolio and Pavlo a printed document she had obtained during her search and said, "Look at these files. This document was what I got during my search."

"Also, the result of hacking some of the emails and the websites they use," she continued.

Pavlo took the file Biserka had given him and looked at the contents of the file.

"So for now, we can call them an organization?" he said.

Benvolio also took the file and read it. "And they are the same organization." Benvolio continued Pavlo's words and confirmed it.

"Yes, the 'monster lair' and the 'wild lions' are the same organization," Biserka answered affirmatively and agreed with Benvolio and Pavlo's words.

"The deal I want to propose is also related to this. Since our goal is the same to find and capture them, make me your partner. And help me get my partner back," Biserka continued trying to negotiate with Benvolio and Pavlo.

"Wouldn't the deal be more profitable for you? I wouldn't agree to this deal." Benvolio rejected the deal that Biserka offered because, according to him, only Biserka would benefit the most from this deal.

Biserka sighed and said, "I need to catch someone from that organization and retrieve an important file for the CIA, and the rest is up to you what you want to do. And you can make me your special partner and give me orders until our goal is reached. Fair enough to all of us, right?"

Biserka tried to renegotiate by explaining the deal she proposed more clearly and in detail to Benvolio and Pavlo.

Pavlo, who listened to Biserka's proposal, quite agreed with the offer, "I don't think this deal is bad either, Ben."

"We will find it easier to find and arrest them with the help of secret agents as well as information from the CIA," said Pavlo, expressing his views on the deal that Biserka offered.

"Hm, well, I agree with your offer. And I will find a way to get your partner out of your sister's grasp." Benvolio finally agreed and accepted the offer.

-to be continued-