“This is not possible!” Silas roared, eyes wide with a mix of fear and fury. “I shot you in the head!”Johnny smirked — not out of arrogance, but with the grim satisfaction of a man who had just walked through the jaws of death and returned.He replayed the last few seconds in his head with brutal clarity.The moment Silas had raised the gun, Johnny didn’t think, he just moved, lunging forward with everything he had — instincts screaming, adrenaline tearing through his veins.He wasn’t fast enough to dodge, but enough to shift the angle. The bullet that should’ve ripped through his skull caught him in the side of the neck instead. Not perfect. But better than dead.Johnny knew a headshot was an instant kill, that gives you no room for second chances. Which meant not even the system skill: [Instant Health Restoration] could pull him back from that kind of grave.However, a shot to the neck was different. It’s a race against time. Blood pumping out fast, air struggling to get through, pa

Johnny kissed Isabella like the world itself was holding its breath. He didn’t even realize how long it lasted—seconds, maybe minutes—but it felt endless.And the moment his lips met hers, she melted into him and kissed him back.The kiss wasn’t slow. It wasn’t gentle. It was raw, hungry, and hot. Her hands trembled in their restraints, and her breath hitched as something primal surged through her.Every fear she’d been holding in since the night she was kidnapped cracked like thin ice beneath the heat between them.Her heart pounded so loud she could hear it in her ears. Her body leaned into his without hesitation, like she’d been waiting for this moment longer than she realized.---[HOT ASSIGNMENT COMPLETED]Task: Kiss the Mayor’s DaughterPenalty Avoided: The Mayor’s Daughter will live.---When their lips finally parted, Johnny stayed close, just a breath away, feeling her warmth brush against his mouth.“Johnny…” she whispered, her voice light and shaky.Then, all at once, her ey

Johnny drove through the night with the city lights sliding across his windshield like streaks of fire. The Rolls-Royce Boat Tail hummed low and smooth, a quiet contrast to the storm in his chest.As the address sent to him got closer, a question pressed harder and harder against the walls of his mind.Why the hell am I hurrying to save Mia? After everything she’s done to me?The answer came before the question finished forming. Because no one deserves to die at the hands of a psychopath. Not even her.When the pin dropped on the map, Johnny’s brows tightened.The building was just a few blocks away from the City Police Precinct.[Vixen: This location was chosen deliberately. Too close to the precinct to be accidental.]He slowed a little, eyeing the corner with the glowing badge sign. A part of him wanted to turn in there and call for backup. But the thought was gone as fast as it came.There were too many reasons why that wasn’t an option.For one, he was still wanted after the disap

Johnny sat in the interrogation room, staring at the dull grey walls like they owed him an explanation.The air reeked of sweat, metal, and bad coffee — the kind of place designed to break men without saying a word.The cops who threw him in hadn’t said much. None of them did. They just looked at him like another problem to file away.Johnny had stopped trying to explain himself hours ago. Nobody listened when guilt already painted your face.The officers who'd processed him hadn't been interested in his version — they'd had footage, a crying woman, and a man with blood on his knuckles. In their experience, that combination only told one story.He was still staring at his reflection in the one-way glass — bruised, tired, and angrier at himself than at anyone else — when the door opened and a man in a grey suit walked in carrying a thin file and an even thinner smile.“Johnny Steele,” the man said, closing the door behind him. “You’ve had quite a night.”Johnny didn’t move. “If you’re h

He blinked. “Excuse me?”“You heard me,” Rhea said, not even looking up from her file. “I want you as my assistant detective”Johnny stared at her like she’d just told him the sky was green. “You want me — the guy you just accused of arson and murder — to help you solve crimes?” “Not solve. Infiltrate. Mostly undercover work. You’ve got a record that shows you can get close to the kind of people the badge can’t reach.”Johnny leaned forward, his tone laced with disbelief. “You’re serious?”“Dead serious.”He snorted and leaned back again, crossing his arms. “I’m sorry, but I have to ask — why me? You’ve got a whole department full of trained officers.”She met his gaze without blinking. “Relax. You’re nothing special,” she said flatly. “There’s an undercover case that needs someone with your… physical appearance.”“My physical appearance?” he repeated, raising a brow. “Is that your creative way of saying I think I am good looking.”She ignored the jab. “I was thinking, if it goes well