Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Aura was planning her next move.
She sat in her dimly lit apartment, sharpening her blades with mechanical precision. Her mind replayed the events of the previous night, Carlo's trap, her narrow escape, and the note she left behind.
Her earpiece buzzed, and a familiar voice broke the silence. "Aura, you've stirred the hornet's nest as usual. Carlos has tightened his security. It's going to be a challenge to get close to him again."
Aura smirked, her cold flirty demeanor intact. "A change? Sounds like fun. I'm loving this."
"You're not taking this seriously," the voice chided. "Carlos is furious. And on the dark web, there are rumors that he's taken a hostage."
Aura's hands stilled, her eyes narrowing. "A hostage?"
"Yeah, some big-shot celebrity. I think his name is Logan Mason."
Aura frowned, she remembered Carlos and a woman were talking about Logan.
She shrugged indifferently. "Not bad. He found someone to vent on."
"He won't kill him, right? The whole nation might be angry. Right?" She asked, her tone was more curious than concerned.
"He might just want to take revenge. Rumor has it, the guy pissed off Carlos's sister."
Aura leaned back in her chair, twirling the blade in her hand. "Interesting. Very interesting."
"What are you thinking?" The voice asked after staying quiet for some minutes.
"I'm thinking Carlos just gave me the perfect reason to pay him another visit," she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
The voice sighed. "Just be careful, Aura. Carlos is dangerous."
Aura's smile widened. "Dangerous? Please. He's a dead man walking and that's the fun part."
*****
Back at Carlos's estate, Logan was led to a small, dimly lit room and shoved onto a chair. Despite the rough treatment, he maintained his composure, his arrogant demeanor unshaken.
As the door slammed shut, Logan leaned back, his mind racing. He knew Liam would be planning his rescue, but one thing was certain: he wasn't going to give Carlos the satisfaction of seeing him break.
*****
Carlos Moretti sat in his office, the note Aura had left burning a hole in his heart; deep down, he was getting scared because everything was unusually quiet. The audacity of Aura to escape his meticulously laid trap and then promise to return shook him more than he cared to admit. He already tightened the security around his estate, doubling the number of guards and installing surveillance cameras in every blind spot. Yet no matter what he did, he felt so uneasy.
Across the mansion, Logan was kept in a locked room, under heavy guard. Carlos hadn't decided what to do with him yet. Breaking him seemed satisfying, but it wasn't as simple as he had thought. Logan's arrogance was unshakable and every time Carlos saw him, it only fueled his anger.
At the same time, Aura was preparing.
She stood on top of the abandoned building overlooking the Moretti estate. Her leather outfit blended into the night. Her weapons, strapped to her thighs, hidden beneath her long coat, and her earpiece crackled to life.
"Aura, are you sure about this?" the voice asked.
She smirked, her tone playful. "Sure? Should I say I'm excited or thrilled? Does he think he can trap me? So naive. He's going to regret it."
The voice sighed. " Just remember he's on high alert."
"It never is," she replied, her voice laced with amusement.
She pulled a small tablet from her pocket, hacking into the estate's security feed. The layout of the mansion appeared on the screen, and she studied it intently, noting the positions of the guards and the gaps in their patrols.
Meanwhile, in Logan's room
Logan sat on the edge of the uncomfortable bed, his hands still bound. Two guards stood at the door, their hands resting on their holstered weapons. Logan leaned back, his expression bored, as if he were waiting for room service instead of plotting his escape.
"You know," he said, breaking the silence, "For a mafia boss, your employer has terrible hospitality. No wine, no five-star meals; how does he expect me to survive, or is he that broke?"
The guards exchanged uneasy glances but said nothing.
Logan smirked. "Silent treatment? How original. Let me guess, you're the 'strong, silent' type. Too bad, I prefer people who can hold a conversation."
One of the guards finally snapped. "Shut up, Logan. Or do you want to be hit?"
Logan's smirk widened. "Even your boss dares not."
Before the guard could retaliate, the door swung open, and Carlos stepped inside. His eyes burned with irritation as he glanced between Logan and the guards.
"Leave us," Carlos ordered.
The guards hesitated, then left the room, closing the door behind them.
Carlos crossed his arms, glaring at Logan. "You think this is a joke, don't you?"
Logan shrugged. "A little. You're acting like some cliché movie villain, and honestly, it's hard to take you seriously."
Carlos Jaws tightened. "You've no idea who you are dealing with."
"And you have no idea how boring you are." Logan shot back.
Carlos's composure cracked for a moment, but he quickly recovered. "Enjoy your arrogance while it lasts, Mason. Because when I'm done with you, there won't be anything left of your precious career."
Logan leaned back, his gaze icy and unwavering. "Oh, we'll see about that."
****
Aura slipped into the estate under the cover of darkness, her movements silent and precise. She avoided the guards with ease, her years of training making her invisible in the shadows.
She reached the first-floor balcony and paused, pressing a device against the window. The lock clicked open, and she slipped inside, her eyes scanning the room for threats.
Her earpiece buzzed. "Aura, you're inside. What's the plan?"
She smirked. "Improvise."
She moved through the mansion like a ghost, disabling cameras and guards as she went. She hadn't planned to encounter Logan Mason tonight, but if Carlos thought he could outsmart her, she was more than happy to prove him wrong and tell him he was still a baby in the game.
As she crept towards Carlos's office, she overheard a conversation that made her pause.
"She left a note, boss, but she's not back yet. Should we improve the security and add more men?" one of the guards asked
Carlos's voice was sharp. "And you think I don't know that? Double the patrols. I want her found before she even gets close to this estate again."
Aura smirked, her fingers brushing the dagger at her side. "Oh, Carlos," she whispered. "You have no idea how close I am."