CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

The hitman, sent to kill Julian, emerged from a rundown apartment. His living space was cluttered and disorganized, with empty bottles scattered around. He wore a tattered top, frayed jeans, and a face cap, giving off an air of neglect.

As he prepared to leave, he stuffed pocket knives and guns into his pockets. He hailed a taxi and got in. When they arrived at the destination, he tried to exit without drawing attention.

However, the taxi driver reminded him, "Sir, you haven't paid your fare."

The hitman swiftly pulled out his gun, threatening the driver. "If you say a word, I'll kill you here."

The driver remained silent, frozen in fear. The hitman exited the taxi, and it sped away.

He surveyed the location, managing to find the target's residence. As he approached, he noticed multiple bodyguards patrolling the area.

Determined to remain stealthy, the hitman opted to climb the fence, carefully avoiding detection.

As the hitman climbed the fence, some of the bodyguards heard the noise and began to investigate. The hitman froze, waiting for them to move away. Once they had distanced themselves, he carefully dropped down from the fence and crawled behind a nearby flower pot.

He waited, observing the bodyguards as they searched the area. One of them mentioned hearing a suspicious sound, but they didn't seem to take it seriously. When they finally left the area, the hitman emerged from his hiding spot and slipped into the house through the open door.

He made his way to the living room, where he found Julian enjoying wine with his bodyguards standing beside him.The hitman hid behind a door, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Luck was on his side when Julian dropped his wine cup and excused himself to go upstairs. The bodyguards followed him, but the hitman stayed hidden, waiting for them to clear the area.

Once the coast was clear, the hitman followed Julian upstairs, careful to remain undetected. Julian, however, began to sense that someone was following him. He heard the sound of footsteps, but he brushed it off, thinking it might be one of his guards.

Julian entered his room, but before he could lock the door, the hitman swiftly slipped inside.

The hitman locked the door and pulled out his knife, ready to strike. But Julian fought back, determined to save his own life. The two engaged in a fierce struggle, with furniture crashing and bodies slamming against the walls.

In the heat of the battle, Julian managed to grab a pen from his table and stabbed the hitman in his left eye. Enraged and wounded, the hitman pulled out a gun and shot Julian twice in the leg. Julian's screams echoed through the mansion.

The bodyguards, alerted by the commotion, rushed to the scene. The hitman, his eye bleeding profusely, attempted to escape through the window. However, he realized it was too high and decided to hide instead.

As the guards entered the room, the hitman made a break for it, running past them and down the hallway. Most of the guards tended to Julian's wounds, while others chased after the hitman.

The hitman ran as fast as he could, despite his injured eye. One of the guards pulled out a gun and shot the hitman in the leg, but he kept running.

Finally, the hitman spotted a man preparing to ride a power bike. He pushed the man aside, took the bike, and sped away, leaving the guards to stop on their tracks panting.

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Julian was being taken to the hospital, where doctors removed two bullets from his leg and bandaged the wound. As he lay in his hospital bed, Victor, his father, stormed in.

"What's wrong with you, Julian?" Victor thundered. "Why do you keep getting shot? Can't you eliminate these threats before they eliminate you?"

Julian winced, trying to calm his father down. "Just calm down, Dad. I didn't expect this."

Victor's expression turned stern. "Exactly what I'm saying! If you let your guard down, you're a dead man. Nobody's happy with you being CEO. You need to be more ruthless, more cunning."

Julian listened, knowing his father spoke the truth. As CEO, he had made many enemies, and it was only a matter of time before another attempt was made on his life.

Just then, Julian's mother rushed into the hospital room, frantic with worry. "What happened to you? I heard the news!" she exclaimed.

Julian's parents exchanged a concerned glance, and Victor excused himself, leaving Julian alone with his mother.

Julian tried to reassure her, "Calm down, I'm fine."

But his mother was having none of it. "Don't tell me that! How many times will you keep getting shot? Can't you just leave this country and start over somewhere else?" she pleaded.

She was on the verge of tears, her voice shaking with fear. "Last time you got shot, and now again! How many shots are you going to take?"

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The hitman stumbled into his apartment, his left eye blinded and his leg numb from the gunshot wound. Blood seeped from his leg, and his eye throbbed with pain.

Just as he collapsed onto the couch, his phone rang. It was David, asking if he had completed the job. The hitman winced, the pain overwhelming him.

He struggled to speak, but David's angry voice cut him off. "So, all the money I paid you was for nothing?" David yelled.

The hitman couldn't take it anymore. He ended the call, knowing he had to escape. But his weakened state made it impossible. He decided to wait until morning, hoping his leg would heal enough for him to flee.

For now, he lay there, writhing in agony, his mind racing with the consequences of his failure.

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After Ethan dropped Ava off at her place, he promised to visit her the next morning before heading to work. Ava felt tempted to ask him to stay, but she pushed the thought aside.

As she entered her apartment, Ava began to regret her decision to resign from her job. "What am I going to do now?" she thought, shaking her head. She collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted.

Since she was too tired to cook, Ava settled for cereal. Thankfully, the electricity was working, so she spent the evening watching romantic dramas. The shows got her thinking about Ethan, and she wondered if she should confess her feelings to him.

Ava playfully hit her head with a pillow, feeling silly for having such thoughts. But then she remembered Ethan's words about being confused, and she made a promise to herself to confess her feelings to him.

Maybe, just maybe, they could plan a date or attend a party together. Ava's heart skipped a beat at the thought, and she couldn't wait to see Ethan the next morning.