Three hours

Kaia dropped to her knees on reading the note. She held the photo in disbelief and shock.

“Substitute target — kill him tonight and your son gets to sleep in a comfortable bed with care. Default or get caught and he sleeps in the cold room.” The words echoed in her head.

“Kill someone?” Kaia muttered, her voice shaking with disbelief.

She had only stolen in masks and hoodies; never had she killed someone before.

“Default or get caught and he sleeps in the cold room.” Those words echoed in her head like a reminder.

Her heart hammered violently against her chest; her eyes knew no bounds as they let loose the waters in them.

“No, Kai. Why me?” Kaia wailed, her voice cracking with pain.

Her phone pinged with a message notification. She ignored it as pain and confusion overwhelmed her.

But the ping became incessant, forcing her to take a look.

“You have three hours to get it done. Steal the black suitcase containing hard drugs and the golden flash drive in his possession and kill him. A gun will be given to you.” Kaia paused, her heart pounding so violently that it obstructed her hearing. She wiped her eyes roughly with her hands, disbelief clinging to her. She thought her eyes betrayed her, but on wiping her tears she realized it was all her reality.

With shaking hands she scrolled to the next message. “The plane for Italy leaves at 11 p.m.; miss it and your precious son suffers for it. Your time starts now,” the text read.

Confusion, agony, and rage hit Kaia all at once.

Panic surged in as she looked at the time on her phone screen: 8:00 p.m. Immediately she jumped to her feet.

The flight left at 11 p.m., leaving her with exactly three hours to get the task done.

“Kai, please forgive Mommy. Please,” she whispered.

She ran into the bath and freshened up quickly. Her pace echoed through the silent walls of her room.

After showering, she slipped into a black sequin dinner gown with high thigh slits. That was the last sexy dress she had worn for her gig as a con artist. The dress carried memories. Kaia stood before her standing mirror; her reflection mirrored her past in ways she had buried years ago.

“If I could triumph through every gig back then for survival, then I will certainly triumph now for Kai’s sake,” Kaia said to her reflection.

She wore the plastic face mask sent by Rodriguez, laid precisely to look like human skin. It felt so real.

She looked entirely different. The face was that of a Spanish woman with perfectly lifted lips and a pointed nose. Kaia applied a light touch of makeup and let her hair down.

She picked up the invitation card and looked through it with haste. It was a five-star event dinner for business and high-class socials. She took a look at the photo of the target again and studied his face well — well enough so as not to make a mistake.

Afterwards, she ordered a luxurious car for the night. If the event was high class, she had to appear classy to catch the eyes of the target. Within minutes a Rolls-Royce Phantom arrived, with a chauffeur dressed in a black suit at her doorstep. The evening breeze settled on her skin as she stepped out of her house. The chauffeur bowed respectfully and opened the door to the back seat of the car.

Kaia settled in and let the cool air calm her mind, because she needed her sanity and a stable mind to finish the task.

“Where to, ma’am?” the chauffeur asked, his voice calm and respectful.

“Imperial Haven,” Kaia responded, her tone firm.

The chauffeur nodded and hit the accelerator.

She glanced at the time on her phone screen. It was 8:13 already.

“Please go a bit faster,” she said to the chauffeur, and he pushed the accelerator further.

Each passing minute was like a weight laid on her shoulders. As the car glided through the city, her mind took her back to Kai.

His pale eyes and yells for her made her almost tear up. “No, Kaia, you have to stay strong,” she whispered to herself like some sort of motivation.

After several turns, they arrived at Imperial Haven. The lights from the hotel traveled far and were bright enough to power two duplex mansions.

Cars of different tastes that screamed wealth were parked in the lounge. The security at the entrance themselves looked expensive, as they wore shining black tuxedos with designer shades to complement.

Imperial Haven was known as a top five-star hotel in the city. Men and women of high taste and calibre lodged there for business and pleasure. It wasn’t a place for middle-class citizens; their bill for a night was enough to rent a full duplex for two years or more.

Kaia let out a loud breath as the chauffeur stepped out of the car and opened the door for her seat.

He extended his hand to her as she stepped out of the car gracefully.

“Thanks!” she said and walked straight to the entrance.

Without a word, she showed the invite card to the security, and he ushered her in.

The scent of expensive cologne mixed with that of expensive liquor filled the air. The hall was designed with excellence and exquisite taste.

Men and women dressed in expensive clothes sat gracefully at dinner tables. Kaia took a seat at an empty table. She placed her purse on the table and crossed her legs like she owned the place.

Seconds later, a waitress approached her and served her a glass of red wine and small chops.

“Thank you!” Kaia responded with a small smile, kind enough to make the waitress smile in response.

Without hesitation, she sipped the wine slowly, while her eyes scanned the hall discreetly for her target. But she didn’t catch sight of him.

“Maybe not now, but certainly,” she said in her mind.

The event kicked off with an introductory speech made by a red-haired, middle-aged woman dressed in silk, complemented with diamond earrings and a necklace.

After the introductory speech, a young man came on stage and spoke words that made the audience cheer. The event was a high-net-worth networking soiree with a luxury brand reveal. While the speaker spoke, Kaia kept a lookout for her target.

She looked at her phone screen for the time; it was 9:00 p.m. already. Her breath ceased. She had just two more hours left to get the task done and board the plane.

Seeing that the event was likely to take time — the speakers spoke a bit faster than usual, Kaia decided to take matters into her own hands, just as she and Kira had done in the past.

They made the men notice them if their eyes were not on them. And now, the target was nowhere to be seen, so Kaia used herself as bait.

She walked almost across the hall to one of the waitresses. Her waist and hips swayed in rhythm with her steps with the sound of her heels echoing faintly across the room.

“The restroom, please?” she asked the waitress.

“Down right,” the waitress responded, pointing in that direction.

Kaia let her eyes scan again, but this time more discreetly. Then she saw him.

His eyes were already on her before she met his gaze. Then a knowing smirk spread across her face.

She walked to the bathroom and stayed for a few minutes before coming out. As she walked into the hall, she swayed her hips slightly and her ass followed.

Immediately after she took her seat, she noticed a small piece of paper on the table. Without

a second thought, she opened it, and a knowing smile curved on her lips.

“Now I strike,” she whispered.