Breaking Point

^he night was still and silent, the kind of stillness that makes every sound feel amplified. My footsteps echoed in the empty alleyway as I made my way to the rendezvous point. The mission was clear. I had to eliminate Kirk.

The message had been clear: finish the job, or there would be consequences.

I hated the mission now. Hated the way it had twisted everything. The choices I was supposed to make, the orders I was supposed to follow, they were all becoming meaningless. And with every passing moment, I felt more lost.

The sniper rifle lay heavy in my hands as I set up my position on the rooftop, the city lights flickering below. The wind whispered past me, and the cold metal of the rifle felt grounding, solid. It was supposed to be easy. I had done this before, take the shot, walk away. But this time, it was different.

I could hear Kirk's voice in my head, feel the weight of his eyes on me. "You're mine," he had said.

The memory of his touch, the way he kissed me, haunted me like a shadow, following me wherever I went.

He was still out there, somewhere below me, oblivious to the danger. He wasn't supposed to be.

He was supposed to be dead by now, the plan was simple. He had been too much of a liability, a loose end. But every time I tried to focus on the mission, all I could see was him. All I could hear was his voice.

I steadied my breath, the scope lining up with his figure as he walked down the street. The crosshairs were centered on his chest, the perfect shot.

This was it. This was the moment. I had trained for this. I had taken down targets without hesitation before. Why was this any different?

My finger hovered over the trigger.

He paused, his back to me, unaware of my presence. He was just a man now, not the monster I had been told he was. Not the mafia kingpin, not the danger he had been painted as. Just Kirk, the man who had kissed me like he owned me, the man who made me feel alive in a way that scared me.

I couldn't do it.

My finger tightened on the trigger, but it wasn't enough. I froze. The moment I had trained for, the moment I was supposed to end this, and I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger.

The breath I had been holding escaped in a shaky exhale, and I lowered the rifle, unable to look away from Kirk as he stood there, unaware that his life was in my hands. I had the power to end him, to take him out and walk away from this nightmare.

But I couldn't. I couldn't kill him. Not like this. Not after everything that had happened.

I cursed under my breath, lowering the sniper rifle completely. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, and I felt the sickening weight of indecision settle in my stomach. I wasn't supposed to hesitate. I wasn't supposed to feel this. But I did.

I took a step back from the edge of the rooftop, leaning against the cold concrete. My legs felt weak, my chest tight.

Was this who I was now? Someone who couldn't follow through with her mission?

I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. I had to focus. The mission wasn't over. The job was still on the line. I had to finish this. I couldn't let myself be distracted by feelings. Not again.

But as I opened my eyes and glanced down at the street below, I saw Kirk move further into the shadows, disappearing from view. He was still out there. The man I was supposed to kill. And yet, I couldn't bring myself to do it.

The mission was slipping through my fingers, just like Kirk had. How could I kill him now? How could I take the life of someone who made me feel this torn, this confused?

I couldn't.

I turned away from the edge of the rooftop, my heart racing in my chest. I had to get out of there before I did something I would regret. My mind was a storm of confusion, my emotions tangled in ways I couldn't begin to understand.

The mission wasn't over. But I was.

Just as I was about to leave the rooftop, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, seeing a text message flash across the screen. My hands were still shaking as I read the words.

"I know you couldn't do it, Sophie. But it's not over yet."

It was from Kirk.