Chapter 7: Finding Allies

"He must still be here."

Alina walked through the back alley of an underground bar—the place where her old friend used to hide. As soon as she stepped into the dimly lit room, the scent of alcohol and cigarette smoke hit her.

From a distance, her eyes caught a figure she hadn't seen in a long time. A man sat in the corner, playing with his folding knife. The old scars on his face were still there, but his gaze remained as sharp as ever.

Alina stepped closer. "Axel, long time no see."

Axel looked up. His once-relaxed expression instantly turned wary. "Who are you? Do we know each other?" His voice was cold as he scanned Alina from head to toe.

Alina just smirked. "You haven't changed. Still the same as before." She crossed her arms. "Always cautious around strangers."

Axel narrowed his eyes. This woman looked unfamiliar, but somehow… she knew too much.

"Who are you, really?" he asked impatiently. "Speak, or this knife will do the talking for me."

A cold smile formed on Alina's lips. She uttered a single sentence—their secret code.

"A dead fish in the red sea..."

Axel instinctively responded, "Brings memories of a dark world."

For a moment, his face changed. His sharp stare was replaced by shock. "Boss… is that you?" His voice was barely a whisper. "You… look different."

Alina pulled out a chair and sat down casually. "Surprise."

Axel was silent for a moment before letting out a small laugh. "Damn… I don't know how you changed your face, but I don't care." He leaned back in his chair. "So, Boss, what happened? You… are very different."

Alina smirked, picking up the glass on the table and taking a sip. "I'm already dead, Axel." Her voice was cold. "Taken down by my own people."

Her grip tightened on the glass, her gaze filled with hatred.

Axel widened his eyes. "What are you talking about, Boss? I don't understand."

A small chuckle escaped Alina's lips. Axel… he had never been one for deep thinking.

"Forget it," she said, pulling her chair closer to Axel. "I need your help."

Axel sharpened his gaze. "Help? It's been a long time since you asked me to do something." He narrowed his eyes. "Since you got close to Marco, to be exact."

Alina exhaled and began explaining everything.

After a while, Axel finally understood the reason for their meeting that night. "So, Marco betrayed you?"

Alina crossed her arms. "Yes. And we're going to make him pay."

Axel grinned. "Alright. What's your plan?"

Alina looked at him sharply. "We're going to take them down from the inside. And this time, I won't just go after Marco—I'll destroy his entire network."

Axel twirled his knife before slipping it into his pocket. "Sounds interesting."

Alina smirked. "So, are you in or not?"

Axel stared at her for a few seconds before letting out a small laugh. "You know I never turn down a challenge."

Alina's cold smile widened. "Good. We start tonight."

---

The next day, Alina returned to the hospital as if nothing had happened. But in her mind, their plan was already in motion.

Axel would track down Marco's whereabouts, while Alina would continue investigating from within.

It didn't take long before a message popped up on her phone:

"He's at Club Orion. Alone. I can take him out now."

Alina stared at the screen for a few seconds before typing her reply:

"No. I want to see his face when I finish him myself."

Tonight, the traitor would meet his fate.

But plans don't always go smoothly. Just as Alina was about to sneak out of the hospital, her phone suddenly rang.

An emergency call.

"Doctor, we have a critical patient on the way," a nurse's voice sounded tense. "Accident victim. His condition is severe."

Damn.

Alina clenched her fist. "Why now? Is there no other doctor available?" she muttered in frustration.

But she couldn't sacrifice Aileen's job just for revenge. With a heavy heart, she rushed to the ER.

When the patient arrived, his condition was truly critical.

"How is he?" she asked, preparing her stethoscope.

"He's unconscious, Doctor. He had a seizure in the ambulance."

Alina examined the patient carefully. Head trauma… most likely a brain hemorrhage.

"We need a CT scan immediately to locate the bleeding," she ordered quickly. "Prepare the operating room. We need to perform surgery right away."

The medical team sprang into action. Alina was so busy that she lost track of time—and forgot about her promise to Axel.

Meanwhile, Axel was still waiting at Club Orion. From a distance, he kept an eye on Marco, who was still enjoying his drink.

But unease began to creep into him.

"Where's Boss?" he muttered, glancing at his watch. "She's never late like this..."

Axel tried calling Alina's phone. No answer.

Alina was still in the operating room. Her phone lay in the break room, vibrating incessantly.

Axel frowned. He called her again and again, but still got no response.

"Why isn't she coming? Is she in trouble?"

His eyes remained locked on Marco, but his mind was now filled with worry.