"I heard the Cassanos wanted a lifetime seal of guarantee. Bring the head of Zella Albert and I will give you all of that."
Leo grunted, and his arm must have slept on its own. It pricked right to his skin, and it was uncomfortable. As Leo shifted in his bed, he realized another person joined him last night. Sighing, he recognized it was Zella.
The moment Jeremy's words fleeted in his mind, Leo knew he's doomed.
He spent the night with no other than the woman he's going to kill in a matter of days. Leo even claimed her virgin body, never once but all the time. It must be the biggest mistake he had ever done, but this wasn't the last.
How can he kill the woman who gave him bliss of happiness every time she showed up in front of him, all smiles? Leo kept on forgetting he was a bad person whenever she's around. He wanted to finish her, but something told him off.
That he's not good enough to deserve a woman like Zella…
As Leo closed his eyes, he soothed Zella's hair. He sniffed in, cherishing her scent lingering in his body. At this point, Leo is close to falling in love with her.
Zella moved, felt his toned chest in her forehead, and pushed up gently, looking drowsily under her chin. She blinked several times before whispering, "Are you awake, Leo?"
The faint sunrise welcomed them by the window. They must have fallen asleep after the intimate moment last night. Zella was relieved Leo proved everything to her. After the rules, he had moved so, and kissed her like there's no tomorrow.
The hunger in her lips, the way he devour her, as gentle as he could… Zella wanted another heated moment, but it is morning, and he needed to go to work.
Leo adjusted his arm, retracting it, and lay down by his side. Zella leveled her head to his, and they both stared into each other's eyes. Leo smiled, asking, "Do you still remember what happened last night?"
The worry was evident in his tone. Zella smirked, nodding.
"I thought you weren't," Leo stated. It was an obvious thing for him to be anxious about. Zella lay flat on her back, plastering her eyes on the ceiling, and a sweet smile come across her lips. Leo couldn't help but to slide closer, and plant a soft kiss at the top of her shoulder.
"Mornings should stay like this. I don't even have the time to say how thankful I am for you, Leo, but I was so happy of what happened last night. It's the only thing that kept me alive for the past few months," she remarked.
Leo stared at her lashes blinking, and leaned his forehead on her side.
Both of them closed their eyes as they cherished the silence.
…
As Leo finished fastening his coat, the Cassanos stayed at the conference room for a while. They're waiting for him, and he ran up late a few minutes after their desired time to talk before going to work.
In an instant, four pairs of eyes landed on him when he opened the doors.
Randall crossed his arms over his chest, standing up from the couch, and the air doesn't look good. Leo raised his eyebrows as his second-in-command approach him with a serious face.
Leo asked, "What happened? Is there something that came up while we're asleep?"
Randall warned, "You, Mr. Leo Luciano."
Every single thing that deviated from their normal routine would be easily tracked, and that's how their team worked, as always. Leo proved to everyone how the Cassanos can work blindly, but still, accomplish the thing Jeremy wanted out of them. The five of them in blindfolds still acquire precise results than the rest.
Leo turned back to Randall.
He guessed… they have known.
"How long should you let your wife moan for 10 minutes straight? It's obvious you slept with her. I have known you would do it to her sooner than later," Randall reckoned. Leo parted his lips slightly, and didn't know what to say. This isn't good at his side, but he knew that Randall and the rest of the Cassanos wouldn't blabber it on the public.
"We're just worried about it, Leo," Jon Cho spoke up. He turned his head at his direction, and shrugged.
"You fell in love with her, but we still have a promise and an order from Jeremy to kill her. How are we supposed to do that when you're a killer and a protector yourself?" he added.
Leo composed himself. This isn't the thing he thought was coming.
A lot of times Randall refused to help him with Zella Albert, but he insisted.
Those times, Zella completely win his heart unknowingly.
Leo inhaled a hefty amount of air, asking, "Can you all do me a favor?"
Randall munched in his bottom lip. He confessed, "I'm scared for the first time in my life, Leo. The inspection team isn't a joke, Leo. Plus, Louise Shelton is Tina Yunis' daughter. We're doomed once she found out something suspicious."
Leo tucked in his hands inside his pocket, knowing everything would get revealed one day, but in order to prevent that, they had to hide Zella in every way they should.
"We can plot a plan to revert their attacks. In order for us to not get killed, we have to take Zella under our wing for as long as we could."
Leo isn't dealing with things rationally now. He's hesitating with getting the job done because of a woman. Randall understood what he felt. For now, he doesn't want to disclose his real attachment to Louise.
He's nurturing the leaf, and let it grow. It might help them for quite some time.
"Promise us if everything comes down, you'll never leave us, Leo."
Vincent was the one who had been vocal about their pact. Everyone turned to them, and Leo stared at the long-haired member of their team. Vincent swept his blonde hair aside, continuing, "We all vowed to protect each other, to save each other, to let the team stay true to the principles, and the job being a 5-person, not only one. A promise should never be broken when someone's life is on the death line."
Leo knew he chose the right members from the start. He turned to Vincent, nodding, and even bowing down his head. The two of them smiled sadly to each other.
"We need to carry out a special plan: this time, it has to include Zella in it."
Leo walked to the coffee table, retrieved his tablet, and walked to the dining table along with the Cassanos. They laid out plot points, everything that will stay true to their principles, but stay hidden in another uninvited pair of eyes, for their team to work out for the nth time.
"This is what we should do with another pair of eyes watching us at the corner of the room."
…
Randall walked along the hallway of the Calvorite Hall when he saw someone familiar. Louise Shelton came out of Jeremy's room, holding a clipboard in one hand, and her hair was tied on a low ponytail.
She looked classy, and Randall's heart thumped louder.
Louise decided to walk fast, but when he saw a man standing on the left corridor, she perked up, greeting him right away. "Good morning, Mr. Cross."
"Make Louise fall in love with you, and everything would be easy if you achieved it."
Randall nodded, approached her, halting her tracks. He smiled, greeting back, "Good morning, lovely lady."