CHAPTER:3

Chapter : 3

"Nala"

( an important mission)

As I trailed behind him into the study, the shadows cast by the morning light seemed to darken the space . His chair creaked softly as he settled in, the sound echoing through the silence . With calculated precision, he pulled out a drawer and extracted a file

" here the information on Max ," he said,

His voice devoid of emotion . " find him and decide what to do with him . He'sa threat to me now,"

My response dies on my lips as the file hurtled toward me, striking my face with a resounding slap . The sting was nothing compared to ache within .

" father –" I say heartly

" Don'tcall me that!" he thundered, his mask of calm shattered . " I'm not your father, girl . If you value you life, never make that mistake again".

The words cut deep , slicing through my soul ." yes, boss," I whispered, my heart shattering into a million pieces .

His gaze turned glacia, piercing me with it's intensity . " Should I be grateful that you acknowledge me as your boss, or should I pamper you like a princess ?"

.I shook my head, mortified. " No , boss , I never implied that".

." then why are you still here ?"

He sneered, his tone dripping with disdain. . I shook my head again, my voice barely audible " No".

" leave " the single word hung in the air, a dismissal that cut deeper then any knife .

As I turned to depart, his voice halted me, it's edge sharp as razor . " Don't show your face untill you'vefound Max and if anything goes wrong, you'llface the consequences."

I nodded, the weight of his warning settling upon me like a shroud.

Andy awaited me in kitchen, her eyes wide with concern . " Nala , come I've prepared breakfast."

I forced a weary smile . " I'm tired, Andy. I have urgent business to attend to . I'lleat on the way ".

Her brow furrowed " but Nala , you just returned, and you're still injured".

" I know my injuries better then anyone ".

I said, my tone brusque. " and if they start to heal, I'll reopen them myself " . Cause there are the only thing keeping me alive .I can't afford to lose them

Andy eyes widened, alarm etched on her face " Nala-".

" I told you , don't care to much about me "

I warned, my voice low and urgent.

" it will only bring you pain. . Roses are beautiful from afar, but up close, they'll hurt and bleed you".

With those words, I turned and vanished into the morning .leaving Andy's concern swirling in my wake .

As I stepped out of the building that once was my home, uncertainty gripped me. Where should I go? What should I do? The questions swirled in my mind like a vortex.

Just as I began to clear my thoughts, a sound echoed from behind. "hey" I spun around, shocked to see.

. a boy who had once been a close friend, a surrogate brother. His black attractive eyes ,his long eyelashes fair skin , broad shoulder everything perfect which can make every girl wants him . And he's Lenny .

"Hey Nala, good to see you back," Lenny said, his eyes tinged with grief and guilt. "I've missed you so much. I asked your father...I mean, your boss, to bring you back from that hellhole, but—"

"My father, or rather, my boss, didn't listen, did he?" I interrupted, my tone laced with disgust.Lenny's expression turned sympathetic. "Nala, I was worried about you."As he reached out to hug me, I recoiled, my heart hardened. "Don't forget, Lenny, you're my father's underline, here to follow and report on me." I remember Andy's talking to other servents about bringing breakfast to father's underline but I was shocked when I hear Lenny name .

Lenny's face contorted in confusion.

"Nala, it's not like that...not entirely."I cut him off, my voice icy. "What we had as children is irrelevant now. You're just an underline." Lenny's eyes clouded with concern, but I turned away, leaving him to follow me.

"We need to discuss your mission," Lenny said, his voice low. "Boss is worried—" I cut "Don't lie, Lenny. I know better," I snapped.

Lenny expression change " the truth then do you want me to tell the truth ".

"The truth always cuts deeper but still better than imaginary flowers,"

I said, my words masking the pain within.Lenny's gaze softened. "You've grown up, Nala."

"Time changes everything," I replied, my voice detached.

"Even the softest heart turns hard after enduring pain."

We settled into a car, the driver speeding away into the unknown. As I gazed out the window, memories flooded back—warm weekends with my loving family, laughter, and joy.

"Nala?" Lenny's voice broke the spell. " Is everything okay . You seem lost".

"I was lost in thought," I admitted.Lenny's eyes crinkled with concern. "So, about your mission...?" I nodded, focusing on the task ahead.

"We'll start by gathering information on Max," Lenny explained. "His lifestyle, work, whereabouts...and how to handle him." I listened intently, my mind racing. "And then we'll threaten him."

Lenny's expression turned grave. "No, Nala. Boss wants us to end him."My brow furrowed.

"Why? He's an underline. Why would we kill our own?".

Lenny's voice dropped to a whisper. "Our rival is closing in on Max. We can't let that happen."

I felt a spark of curiosity, mixed with hatred. "Just because of our rivals, we'll sacrifice our own?"

Lenny's eyes locked onto mine. "This rival is a significant threat. We've lost many people, many smuggling operations...we can't underestimate him."

A shiver ran down my spine. "He sounds formidable."

As I pondered this enigmatic rival, an inexplicable connection stirred within me. Who was he, really?

" Lenny I have a question. " I added . " Yes Nala, " he replied.

" do you know who is he ? I means his name , family background.i know you know little about him .can you tell me how much you know about him"

"Nala , it's confidential I can't tell you everything.its boss order . I'm sorry " his gaze soften as he added sorry .

" oh okay . I was just asking cause I wanted to know whom am I going to fight . I wanna know his weakness ,and everything"I say softly .

" fine we'll I didn'thave many information but I only know his name" he said and then he whisper in my ear

" M , his name is M " as he added his name there a strange fear that appear in his face .

"well what's M ,and who is he ,why are you so scared while saying his name is M is even full name ? " I curiously added .

" well Nala , you will fear him too once you know who is he ? He's a serial killer .you know when we find our man's badly it take us severals months to identify them . He not only murder them but also brutally tortured then . Every bones of there body seems broken ,every limb cut into lines , every hair seems to be pulled out of there head , and the last things acid . We can't recognize them cause there face and whole body is dip in acid . You know the with every murder there is M ".he added sound scared and strange too .

" what " I replied .

" he's a death bringer. The one who delivers death