CHAPTER 12 ITS A "NO"

AUTHORS NOTE : WE GOT TWO POVS. HOPE IT IS NOT CONFUSING.

I froze. The air in my lungs caught, and my heart rate spiked for just a moment. Someone else was targeting Antonio. I had to act fast.

I cursed under my breath, my body tensing as I realised what was happening. Another sniper had targeted Antonio.

I didn't have time to second-guess myself. My finger squeezed the trigger, sending a clean shot through the enemy sniper. The report was soft, precise, and quick. Another clean kill. I moved quickly, no hesitation in my actions.

I turned back to Sandro and took him down with a single shot. His body crumpled, falling out of the frame of my scope.

The fight had started. Antonio was in the thick of it, fighting like a savage.

I made my way over to the sniper. As I search through his pockets, I found the proof I was looking for. A wallet, a badge, and identification. This man had ties to Sandro. A quick glance at his phone confirmed it.

He was one of Sandro's men, and he'd been sent to take Antonio out.

I snapped a picture of the identification, sent it directly to Antonio's phone, and left the building as silently as I had entered. Let him figure it out. I'd already gotten what I came for: Sandro was dead.

Antonio's POV

The meeting was dragging on, as usual. I leaned back in my chair, letting the words of the other Los Sombros members fade into the background. I had no patience for the pleasantries; my focus was solely on one thing: Sandro.

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, still keeping my eyes on him.

And then I saw it.

"You got a white hair ."

A smirk tugged at my lips. It was her. I knew it the moment I saw the message. She was watching. I couldn't suppress the small smile that crept across my face as I typed back a quick response. I liked to think she'd find my reaction amusing.

But just as I was about to put my phone down, —a red dot appeared on the screen, hovering over my phone. I followed the line. There she is. Watching me.

I saw the second red dot appear. This time, it was on my chest.

Bang.

 I didn't even have time to breathe before the sound of gunfire erupted around the room. Bang Another one.

It was chaos.

I saw it—Sandro's body crumpled to the ground, a clean shot through the heart.

It hit me then.

I didn't have time to question it. The room was alive with gunfire, and I had to fight my way out.

As the chaos subsided, I took a moment to regroup, scanning the room. The fight was over, but Sandro was dead.

My phone buzzed again, and this time I didn't hesitate to check it. A picture.

It was of the sniper who had been sent to kill me. Sera had sent it. She'd taken him out.

I exhaled, a grim smile tugging at the corner of my lips. She was always two steps ahead.

 SERA POV

I returned to the hotel I'd booked, washed off the grime of the day with a long, hot shower, and decided to treat myself to a quiet dinner out. I had barely begun to enjoy my meal when I felt a presence beside me.

"You're still alive?"

"Looks like someone's interested in me," he said

I choked on my wine a little, my throat suddenly tight. "No. I was interested in someone else," I replied coolly. "Unfortunately, he's dead now."

Antonio's expression shifted, but only slightly. There was that special look in his eyes, the one he reserved for when things weren't quite what they seemed.

"Did you order your dinner?" he asked, clearly trying to bring the conversation back to safer ground.

"I did," I replied, taking a leisurely sip of my wine. "It's delicious."

He raised an eyebrow, leaning in slightly. "Dinner's on me tonight. You asked me to take you out last time, didn't you?"

I fought the urge to laugh. "No, thank you, Antonio," I said with a teasing smile. "And That's not how a gentleman should ask a woman to dinner. You need to do it properly."

He paused for a beat, then gave me a knowing smile. "Alright. Be ready tomorrow. I'll take you out then."

I raised an eyebrow at him, my smile widening. "I think you need to learn how to ask first, Antonio."

He stared at me for a long moment, his usual confident facade cracking just a little. I could tell I'd pushed him, but that was the point. He couldn't always get his way.

Finally, he asked again, more earnestly this time, "Will you let me take you out tomorrow?"

I leaned back in my chair, savouring the moment. "I'm going back home tomorrow," I said with a light shrug, "so... it's a no."

His eyes flashed, irritation creeping into his expression, but I couldn't help but feel a small thrill at having gotten under his skin. I smiled triumphantly as he stood up, clearly frustrated, and left without another word.

Antonio's POV

I stepped out of the restaurant, the cool night air hitting my face, but I barely felt it. All I could focus on was that damn smile of hers—the one she wore like a badge of honour, as though she had won something.

By the time I got back to my room, I was still stewing over the night's events. I wanted to call her, but I knew better than to do something impulsive. She would only get a kick out of it. I'd let her have her victory for now, but I knew one thing for sure: I am going to make her mine.

Not yet anyway.

I grabbed my phone, half tempted to send her a message, but I resisted. Instead, I found myself staring at the screen, thinking about the next move. Sera was always on my mind, even when I was supposed to be focused on other things. It was infuriating, but I couldn't deny it—she had me hooked.