After six hours passed, he finally woke up. When he opened his eyes, he realized he was still in the medic bay. His waist was wrapped in a bandage. Curious, he pulled the bandage back a little and looked inside—it had already been stitched up where they’d removed the bullet. The pain was there, but dull.He pushed himself up slowly and glanced around the large, white room that smelled sharply of antiseptic. Turning his head, he saw Jane sitting nearby. She had been watching him the whole time.“You’re finally awake,” she said as she got up and moved closer to him. Her voice was tense.“Something happened while you were out,” she continued. “After we came back here, we got news that some of Butcher’s headquarters were attacked by men. It won’t be long before they come after this ship too. They’ll make their move any moment.”He nodded grimly. “I know,” Dane replied. “And we failed the mission. How are we going to explain this to Butcher?”“Don’t ask me,” Jane replied. “I don’t know. By

As he sped through the streets on his bike, his fury burned like a wildfire. Every thought was fixed on one thing — reaching Richard’s mansion and ending him once and for all. Even if it cost him his life, he didn’t care. He knew Richard would have men waiting, but that didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except killing Richard.The roar of the bike was loud in his ears when his phone suddenly rang. Swerving to the side of the road, he slowed the bike, pulled the phone from his pocket, and glanced at the screen. It was Butcher.He swallowed hard and answered.“Yes, sir?”“I have people watching you,” Butcher’s voice was cold and sharp. “And they tell me you’re heading somewhere. I hope it’s not what I think.”“Sir, I have to,” Dane replied. “I failed you once. Even if it costs my life, I’ll make sure to restore your honor. I’d rather die than let you discard me.”“You fool,” Butcher growled. “Who said you need to throw your life away just to kill Richard? Don’t ever make that mistake.”“S

Dane pointed his Uzi straight ahead, locking onto the two men on standby. They weren’t paying attention—easy targets. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger. The suppressed shots cracked through the silence. Both men dropped instantly, their bodies crumpling to the ground, lifeless.The six who were loading the goods into the van froze. They’d just noticed the bodies. Before they could react, Dane charged forward, firing relentlessly. The ones near the van collapsed under the spray of bullets. One of them, still alive and bleeding, reached for his gun. Dane walked up to him without mercy, stomped on his hand, and fired a single shot to finish him off.Gunfire echoed through the compound.The other six men—those still in the storeroom—heard the chaos and burst out with their weapons drawn. But Dane had already moved. He ducked behind the van, taking cover. He peeked around the side, spotted one of them looking the wrong way, and took the shot. Another body hit the ground.“There! Be

After that, Dane pulled out his phone and dialed Butcher. As the call connected, Butcher answered, “Yes?” Dane spoke, his voice steady but tired. “Sir, it’s done. I already ended it.” “So fast?” Butcher sounded surprised. “Did you get shot?” “No,” Dane replied, exhaling. “But my old injury hurts like hell. I’ve got a few scratches on my back, but nothing major.” “Good,” Butcher said. “I’m sending a team to clean up—someone to get rid of the bodies and scrub the scene. Also, check if any of my men survived Richard’s attack.” “Yes, sir,” Dane said. Then he ended the call. He stood there for a moment, breathing hard. Sweat rolled down his face, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He was exhausted—physically, mentally. The adrenaline was fading, and all that remained was pain and silence. Slowly, he moved back into the mansion. Room by room. He checked each one carefully. Bodies. Blood. Butcher’s men—some slumped against walls, others sprawled on the ground. All dead. Th

Maria looked at him for a few seconds. Then she stood up.She was wearing a red dress, her hair neatly pulled back. Her hands folded behind her as she slowly walked toward him. Butcher just stood there, watching her. For a moment, he thought she was about to cry. But instead, she stepped closer—closer than he expected. Butcher closed his eyes, bracing himself for the worst.Then she kissed him gently on the cheek.His eyes flew open in surprise. He looked at her, stunned.As he opened his mouth to speak, Maria interrupted him softly.“No need to explain yourself,” she said. “I understand. I know how things are out there. So… there’s no need.”She paused, her voice steady but sad. “You said it was a year, but for me… it felt like more. You hardly called. You didn’t come back to visit. Not once. But I just hope you won’t disappear like that again.”Butcher smiled—grateful, relieved—and pulled her into a tight hug. He lifted her off the ground and kissed her deeply. To him, Maria was sti