Xyrine Jean's POV
"Ella, do you have any idea why Spade wants to meet me at the park later?" Out of the blue, I asked Ella while we were in the living room.
She suddenly jerked upright, spinning around to face me. "Cuz, are you serious with that question?" She asked as she looked at me with wide eyes, her expression filled with utter bafflement, as if I had just spoken in a language she couldn't comprehend.
"Yeah?"
"Missy, have you ever heard the word 'date~' before?"
I paused for a moment as her question sank in while a thought crossed my mind. Would I end up looking completely clueless if I admitted that I had no idea what she was talking about?
"Xyrine, seriously?" she pressed when I didn't answer.
"Of course, I've heard that word before but... um... I honestly have no idea what people do on a date," I admitted trying to avoid eye contact.
"WHUUT?! OMG! ARE YOU FOR REAL?"
Arg! Is it really that big of a deal if I don't know? I mean, my whole life, I was raised to kill. My access to mainstream and social media has always been extremely limited, especially for top-rank assassins like me. If I ever got a mission, the target profile was always presented on a hard-copy file.
"My apologies, Miss Expert. YES, I AM."
"Whoa! Even though I'd be more than happy to teach you something as surreal as this, I still can't help but find it completely ridiculous," she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air in sheer disbelief while staring at me like I had just confessed to being an alien. "I mean seriously, did you come from Mars or something?!"
I couldn't bring myself to respond. If I did, her jaw might just hit the floor.
"Anyways, dating is a broad topic, and you need to be cautious, cuz! People these days can be too aggressive. Some might ask for a kiss on the first date, and others might want even more."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, your body?"
"What? Why on earth would Spade ask for a kiss and, even worse, my body?" I blurted out, my voice rising with pure disbelief as I stared at her "Does he have some kind of death wish or something?!"
"No, Cuz, I mean, it depends on who your date is. But we're talking about Spade here. I don't see him as a gentleman. He's too dominant. What if he asks for more than a kiss on your first date? Wait! Waaah! Now that I'm thinking about it, I can't help but envy you! Ack!" she dramatically stated.
Erg, is she worried about me or what?
"Arg, whatever. I'll just let it be."
I stared at the ceiling. Now that Ella explained what a date is, I couldn't stop myself from feeling nervous. My gaze remained fixed above when my phone suddenly rang.
Jacob is calling...
I frowned, moving away from Ella before answering.
"Hey, XJ, I have a big favor to ask," he said immediately.
Even before hearing what he needed, I already had a bad feeling. "And what kind of favor are we talking about?"
"My partner, Jane. I can't contact her, and we have a big mission today."
What is he saying? Substitute assassins are always available for this kind of situation.
"Find a sub then—"
"We can't! This is a frontline mission. She's assigned as our frontman, and we can't just replace her with anyone. You know that yourself."
Upfront mission, huh? A front assassin is specifically designated for the front line. They attend special gatherings, act as representatives, and within our organization, they are known as 'actors.'
"But I've never been a frontman. Are you kidding me? Besides, Uncle Julio specifically prohibited me from taking on any missions related to the organization."
"XJ, please..." he pleaded, his voice carrying a rare desperation that I wasn't used to hearing from him, making it even harder for me to refuse.
"Xyrine, just this once, please..." he added.
Arg, why does he have to call me by my original name?
"Dammit! Tell me the details. ASAP."
PRESTIGIOUS HOTEL 8:00 PM
Fvck, this is damn too much.
I stared at my reflection inside the powder room of a prestigious hotel where the mission was taking place.
Just like when I attended the Montreal event, my face was unrecognizable again. Well, my face always looks different with makeup, but still, it's surprising. I feel like I'm looking at a completely different person. Unlike my outfit at the Montreal event, my dress now is quite simple—a plain pink dress just above the knee. It's simple yet elegant. If someone looked at me now, I'd really look like the heir of a massive corporation.
Oh well, who knows, maybe I am.
Going back to reality, the mission is to pose as the heiress of a big-shot company, attend a formal event, and meet a guy who's also an heir to a major corporation. Since the mission doesn't involve any killing and is just about gathering important information, I don't feel much pressure. But for some reason, there's this underlying anxiety, like I'm forgetting something.
"Testing, testing, can you hear me? Over." I spoke into my earpiece while walking out of the powder room, heading toward the main hall.
"Yes, I can hear you. Over."
"Anyway, what exactly is my introduction, and who am I meeting?"
"Xyrine, listen to me carefully..."
There was something in his voice that made my stomach drop. I didn't know why, but the sudden seriousness in his tone sent a chill down my spine. An uneasy feeling crept over me like a warning, as if something bad was about to happen.
"Drop it already."
"First, you're not going to introduce yourself as just a simple heiress of a big company..."
"Hey, asshole, what do you mean by that? And why are you telling me this now?" I asked, still walking toward the main hall.
"You will introduce yourself as someone's fiancée. You are Catherine Furton, and the one you are meeting is your fiancé."
"HEY! ARE YOU FOR REAL? DO YOU WANT ME TO STRIP MY GOWN HERE AND WALK OUT?" I hissed, keeping my face blank since I was already in the main hall.
"No, please, listen to me first. I'm sorry, but I knew you were going to bolt as soon as you heard this. But I need your help just this once, so please cooperate with us."
I clenched the pouch bag in my hand, trying to suppress my frustration.
"Fvck! So what's the name of my 'fiancé'?"
"It's—"
"Hi, I guess you're Catherine Furton?"
When I turned to look at the voice behind me, my jaw nearly hit the floor.
His face seemed oddly familiar, stirring a memory at the back of my mind. Wait—was he the same guy I bumped into in Montreal last time? That striking face was impossible to forget.
Though I felt a bit flustered, I managed to smile and introduce myself. "Hi, my name is Catherine. What's yours?"
"Edward Mendez. It's my pleasure to meet you."
The moment he said his name, I felt my stomach drop. I wanted to curse in a hundred different languages. It's really him! Dammit.
"Our table is over there. May I escort you—"
"I'm sorry, but could you excuse me for a while? I think I left my phone in the powder room." I said it calmly, even though inside, I was already a whirlwind of panic.
He stared at me for a few seconds, and I could feel the weight of his gaze before he smiled. "Sure, I'll be waiting for you at our assigned table."
The moment he turned away, I rushed out of the main hall.
"FCK YOU, YOU MOTHERFVCKER, YOU IMBECILE, USELESS JERK! THAT WAS MY FCKING SCHOOLMATE, YOU FCKING MORON!" Since I couldn't strangle Jacob who was on the other line, I just cursed him with every word I knew, letting my frustration pour out in a torrent of swear words.
"Hey, calm down. This is exactly why I didn't tell you beforehand."
"FCKER, DO YOU THINK THAT MAKES IT ANY BETTER? DO YOU EVEN KNOW SPADE—"
Wait, Spade?
I froze in place as my eyes widened in realization. Right, My wristwatch. The moment I saw it was already 8 PM, my body went ice cold.
Shit! Is this the unsettling feeling I had earlier?
Before I could figure out what to do next, my phone vibrated inside my bag, a sudden jolt of panic rushing through me.
King of Spade... calling...
Shit!... Wait, is he still waiting? Should I answer? No, it's already been two hours! I declined the call, but it rang again instantly.
"Xyrine, are you still there?" Jacob asked through my earpiece.
He kept talking while my phone continued ringing. The moment it rang again, I accidentally answered the phone in my panic.
Fvck. Fvck. I cursed internally when I saw the call had connected.
"Hey," I greeted, my voice calm despite the storm raging inside my head.
"It's already past 8," he said in a low tone.
"Spade, I-I'm sorr—"
"Where exactly are you?"
"Hey!" I froze when someone suddenly grabbed my arm.
"I'm right! It's really you! Aren't you Xyrine Jean Guevara?"
"Huh?" My mind went completely blank for a moment, the rapid pace of everything around me leaving me dazed and disoriented. I couldn't process what was happening fast enough.
"I'm Edward Mendez. Don't you remember? I'm the guy you bumped into at Montreal University last time. I thought you looked familiar earlier, but now I'm sure it's really you, huh?"
Fvck, that's why I've been feeling like hell! And why the heck does he need to remember who I am? And most importantly, when did he even start following me?!
"Hey, you can be honest. Did Catherine or the Furton family hire you to meet me in their place? Honestly, I don't want this engagement. It's just that our company is in trouble, and we need the Furton family to help us save it."
Shit. Am I already caught?
"XJ, what's happening? Do you know that guy?" I heard Jacob's voice from the earpiece.
"So tell me, Xyrine, are they using you?"
"XJ, can you hear me? Do you know that guy?"
I was so confused about who to answer first when someone else spoke again.
"Xyrine..."
WTF? Wait, why is he still on the line? Did I forget to hang up earlier? Did he hear everything?
My heart started pounding. "Spade, did you hear—"
"Where are you?" Spade's voice was colder than before, and the weight of his tone made everything around me feel still.
"XJ, are you talking to someone on the phone? Who are you talking to?" Jacob's voice came again. "You are in the middle of a mission!" he barked.
"Xyrine, please tell me. Is one of the Furton family members on the phone?" Edward's voice interrupted.
"Xyrine, where are you?"
DAMN IT! WHY DO THEY HAVE TO TALK AT THE SAME TIME?!
"Listen, what you heard is not exactly what you think. It's—"
"Xyrine..." Spade cut me off.
When Spade spoke my name, everything around me seemed to freeze.
"Answer me with silence again, and you're dead." That was enough to make me forget everything else around me.
"And... at a prestigious hotel!" In my panic, I blurted out where I was.
Wait, did I really just say that? Am I crazy? I was about to hang up when Spade spoke again, and my heartbeat raced even faster.
"Listen, don't move an inch and stay exactly where you are." As soon as he said that, the call ended abruptly.
"Hey, are you okay?"
"XJ, what's happening?"
Both Edward and Jacob asked at the same time.
Oh my god, this is crazy! I'm going crazy!
Jacob was still talking but I quickly took out the earpiece and turned to face Edward.
"I must not be here. This is all a mistake. Just forget you met me here."
I was about to walk away when Edward grabbed my arm again. "I'm sorry, Xyrine. Like I told you earlier, I never wanted this engagement, but the Furton family is our last chance to save my family's business."
"And so what? Like you guessed earlier, I'm not Catherine!"
"But you can still play your part, right? If Catherine hired you, it means she doesn't want this engagement either. So, all you have to do is pretend and report back to her that we're not a good match. This way, Catherine takes the blame, and her family would still help us."
Ha, this man... really.
"Hey, get off me, I'm done here."
"No, Xyrine, please, help me this one time." His grip tightened on my wrist.
Arg, what is this guy doing? Why is he dragging me into his problems?
"Edward, your problem is your problem, okay? Let go of me, or we'll be caught by—"
"What an explicit scene we have here."
I didn't even need to look at who spoke. My heart nearly stopped. When I finally locked eyes with him, I wanted to sink ten feet into the ground.
Arg! When did he get here? How did he move so fast?! I couldn't even comprehend how he appeared out of nowhere so quickly.
"Spade?" Edward asked in bewilderment.
Instead of answering, Spade just looked at us, his eyes moving up and down as he gave me a once-over.
"Baby, aren't you too pretty to ditch me and just be someone else's date?"
Eck, baby? Pretty? I don't know what's worse—what he just said or the fact that I feel my face burning with embarrassment. And he calls me "baby," but his expression is so terrifying, it makes my stomach drop.
"Can you guys tell me what's happening here?" Edward cut in, still holding onto my wrist.
"You, remove your hand this instance," Spade ordered Edward coldly.
"What? But she is my date, actually, she's my fiancée—" BAM.
My eyes went wide as I watched Edward collapse to the ground in front of me.
"How dare you call yourself her fiancé when her boyfriend is standing right in front of you?" Spade grabbed Edward's collar and yanked him up.
"Boyfriend? But... but... Xyrine is currently doing her work."
"Ha, right." Spade released Edward's collar, pulled a business card from his wallet, and tossed it at Edward's face.
"The Furton family business is under SY Conglomerate. Call my assistant and mention my name. Now that I saved your ass, fuck off, and never call my girlfriend your fiancée again."
The moment the words left his mouth, it felt like time stood still. Everyone in the Main Hall was staring at us, their eyes wide with shock. Edward looking like he wanted to disappear, scrambled to his feet and bolted out of the room as quickly as he could, his face pale with humiliation.
The whispers filled the room as Spade turned to face me. "I don't know why you're here, but aren't you cold in that dress?" Before I could even process what he was saying, he had already draped his jacket over my shoulders.
It was only then that I noticed what he was wearing—a plain white shirt, black denim shorts, and a black denim jacket, which he had just slipped onto me.
Honestly, it was the first time I had seen him in such casual clothes. Well, his face and physique were so unreal that even rags would look good on him.
Who would've thought that this man, wearing casual clothes, was just bragging about being a conglomerate heir earlier?I almost laughed.
"Wait, how did you get here so fast?"
"xxx Park is literally right next to this hotel."
"WHAT?!"
"It's a part-time job," I suddenly said out of the blue while we were in his car, both of us sitting in the backseat. We had decided not to continue the date and just head straight to my place.
"Oh," he muttered, still staring out the window, lost in his own thoughts. "I guess I'll have to work my ass off to support you then." He smiled, finally turning his gaze to me.
When he smiled, I feel my heart skipped a beat. His smile was so... different, so intense, and it made my pulse race in a way I couldn't ignore.
"Aren't you going to ask why my part-time job is like that?" I asked trying to break the tension.
"If you had any idea how possessive I can be, you wouldn't want me to ask that," he replied in a low but serious tone.
"How possessive?" I asked boldly, curiosity getting the better of me.
He looked directly at me, his gaze piercing through mine. He then reached over and gently cupped my chin, sending a rush of heat through my chest.
"If I were to decide, I'd have you report everything you do, every minute of the day," he said, his words unflinching. "I'd want a 24/7 update. No, I could even have someone else track you. That's how insanely possessive I am." His stare never left me, it's very intense and unwavering.
"But," he continued, his grip on my chin softening, "I'd rather not. I'd get addicted, and I respect you too much for that."
I looked away, feeling my heartbeat quicken. Sometimes... both his actions and words is terrifying.
"But aren't you mad?" I asked, glancing back at him, almost afraid of his answer.
Instead of answering, he suddenly laid his head in my lap and closed his eyes.
"Mad? Mad isn't even the right word," he said, his voice relaxed yet filled with an underlying tension. "I couldn't even sleep last night. I was way too excited for this date. I even showed up two hours early just to make sure I was on time. Funny, right?" He smirked as his eyes remained closed.
"Then why aren't you saying anything?" I asked trying to make sense of it.
He opened his eyes wide, then quickly reached up, grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me closer to him.
"I'm fvcking down bad."
"W-what do you mean?" I stammered, unsure what to make of his words.
"You're damn pretty tonight, I couldn't even utter a word out of my mouth," he said, his voice dropping to a near whisper.
I couldn't stop myself from smiling. "You're really crazy," I mumbled, shaking my head in disbelief.
As I tried to lift my head again, I felt his grip tighten on my neck, pulling me back toward him.
"Do you want to make it up to me?" he asked, his voice low and expectant.
I hesitated, my breath catching in my throat. "I mean, I'm at fault... if I can, w-why not?"
The air between us grew heavy, thick with anticipation, and I knew this moment was leading to something. Then, with a final breath, he spoke.
"Kiss me then."