Cynthia’s eyes narrowed as she stepped directly in front of the approaching men in dark shades. Every instinct in her body screamed that she was placing herself in immediate danger, yet there was no hesitation in her stance. Her posture radiated a rare combination of confidence and intensity, the kind that made even seasoned criminals hesitate for a fraction of a second. Each heartbeat thudded in her chest like a warning drum, each breath steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins. “Stop right there,” she said, her voice calm, steady, but edged with fire. “I know exactly why you’re here. You’re sent to eliminate Antonio Morris. But if your mission is to kill him, then you’ll have to kill me first.”The men froze for a brief moment, exchanging glances that betrayed both surprise and a flicker of annoyance. They had trained for resistance from Antonio himself, for unexpected security measures, for calculated traps—but not for a lone woman stepping directly into their path,

One of the senior security officers quickly dialed Antonio’s extension.“Sir,” the officer began cautiously, “we have detected suspicious movement outside the premises. Unknown vehicles. The men appear armed, though we cannot fully confirm from this angle.”Antonio, who had just shut down his computer for the day, leaned back calmly in his chair. His expression did not shift.“Are they inside the compound?” he asked evenly.“No, sir. They are positioned outside. But they look like they’re preparing to force entry.”Antonio rose slowly, adjusting his suit jacket with unhurried precision. “Don’t panic,” he replied. “And don’t engage unless absolutely necessary.”“Sir, should we alert law enforcement?”Antonio paused briefly before answering. “No. Leave this to me.”“Sir?”“I said leave it to me,” Antonio repeated, his tone firm but controlled. “I know how to handle attackers. Anyone who comes against me—or anything that concerns me—will be handled appropriately. Keep watching. But don’t

Upon seeing that Antonio didn’t make a move—not a flinch, not a step backward—the man charging at him with the knife felt a surge of confidence.“That’s right,” the attacker muttered under his breath. “Stand there.”He interpreted Antonio’s stillness as fear disguised as pride. He assumed the man was frozen, overwhelmed by the chaos and too stunned to react. Around them, the broken windscreen glittered like scattered ice, reflecting the fading evening light. Smoke continued to curl faintly from beneath the damaged engine. The air was thick with the sharp scent of gunpowder and burned metal.Cynthia, standing a few feet away, screamed for Antonio to move.“Antonio! Get out of the way!”Her voice trembled with panic, cracking under the weight of what she thought was about to happen.But Antonio remained exactly where he was—half shielded by the wrecked door of his vehicle, eyes fixed steadily on the approaching threat. His posture was upright. His breathing steady. His gaze unbroken.Th

As soon as Antonio left the men Tina had sent—sliding into his battered vehicle and zooming off from the company environment—the compound of Bellagio Group slowly fell into uneasy silence.The echoes of the fight seemed to linger in the air long after the engines faded. Broken glass glittered across the pavement. A few security guards moved cautiously around the scene, whispering among themselves, still trying to process what they had witnessed. The tension had not completely dissolved; it merely shifted into something quieter and heavier.The attackers, bruised and humiliated, did not go far.Their vehicles sped down the road in scattered formation, engines roaring louder than necessary, as if the noise could drown out their shame. They drove past curious pedestrians who paused briefly, unaware of the violent confrontation that had taken place moments earlier.Two streets away, the vehicles slowed and regrouped.They pulled closer together, forming a loose line beneath flickering str

Tina did not flinch. She knew they were testing her. She knew they were calculating whether they could challenge her authority or whether she could be intimidated. But she had long learned how to deal with men like these—brave in groups, cowardly individually, and easily manipulated when faced with the stakes of death and money. Her experience with such men had taught her that the true leverage lay not in intimidation through fear alone but in establishing unshakable control that left no room for question or hesitation. Every gesture, every word, every glance could communicate dominance, and Tina wielded it like a finely honed weapon.“The next operation is not later than tomorrow,” she said, her voice cold and unwavering. “I will send every detail to you. Every movement of Antonio Morris, every route, every contingency. You will know exactly when, where, and how to act.” Her tone was clipped and precise, leaving no ambiguity. There was no room for negotiation, no space for excuses, a