Xyrine Jean's POV
The Next Day
"Jacob calling…"
"What now?" I answered, finally picking up after ignoring his calls multiple times, knowing full well that he wouldn't stop until I gave in and heard whatever urgent thing he had to say.
"Hello, XJ. We need you at HQ immediately. And don't even think about ignoring us again," he warned before abruptly ending the call.
I already expected them to demand my presence after ditching the last mission. Well, I did it on my own accord—I guess I have to face the consequences at least.
Ha, ditching a mission because of a man who hasn't even contacted you until now. Seriously, what's gotten into you, Xyrine?
As Spade crossed my mind, and the fact that he still hadn't reached out to me, I felt a strange weight settle in my chest.
Does love always hurt this much?
Black Brother HQ
"This is the new target from our VIP client. I hope you can assist us. And this time, don't even think about dropping out in the middle of the mission. This is crucial," Jacob stated as he placed an envelope in front of me.
I wonder who their target is and why they need my help.
I grabbed the envelope and opened it. At first, I had no reaction to the ordinary-looking man in his mid-fifties. But as soon as my eyes landed on the familiar face of a woman, I felt a jolt of alarm.
"That man is Alberto Buenavista, and that young woman is his only daughter."
"And?" I asked flatly, even as questions began swirling in my mind.
"Alberto Buenavista is a businessman who will be going up against one of our VIP clients in the upcoming senatorial election." He locked eyes with me. "We need to assassinate them."
"I mean, why me? What do I have to do with them? Uncle Julyo dismissed me as an assassin. So what's the point of this?"
"This mission is under the President's order."
"Why me?" I repeated.
"His daughter recently transferred to Montreal University. It would be easier if you were the one to take her out…" He shot me a sharp look. "…as soon as possible."
"This is ridiculous," I scoffed before standing up from my chair. "Count me out," I added before walking out of the office.
"This mission is under the President's order."
I let out a deep sigh.
Fate is really playing with me, huh.
7:00 PM
"State her location," I said into my earpiece, addressing Jacob on the other end.
"Camellia Street. She's just getting out of the car."
Moments later, I spotted Althea stepping out of her vehicle. "I'm already here. Stand by," I responded.
Before stepping out of my own car, I shut my eyes tightly. This mission wasn't my choice, but I had to go through with it—whether I wanted to or not.
"Please… just rest in peace," I whispered before exhaling sharply.
The moment Althea got out of the car, I did the same. I was about to walk in her direction when I saw a man step out of the car behind her.
My feet froze in place. It felt like I was glued to the ground.
What is he doing here? Why is he with her?
Without thinking, I pulled out my phone and dialed his number. My heart pounded as I waited, but just as I could see with my own eyes, he wasn't picking up. When the call ended, I dialed again.
This time, after a brief hesitation, he finally answered.
"Xyrine, I'll call you ba—"
"Where are you?"
"At the mansion."
I ended the call immediately. My grip tightened around my phone as I clenched my jaw.
"Jacob…"
"What was that just now? Why do you always talk to someone in the middle of a mission?"
I ignored his words. "The assassination," I muttered.
"Hey, XJ, I don't know what's gotten into you, but this isn't like you. Separate your personal life from this."
His words didn't register in my mind. There was only one thing I could think about, and my decision was already made.
"The assassination—let's abort it."
"What? What are you talking about?!"
"I can't do this."
"Hey, did you not hear what I said earlie—"
"I AM THE ACE OF THIS BROTHERHOOD. DO I HAVE TO REPEAT MY WORDS?!"
With a swift motion, I ripped out my earpiece.
My focus snapped back to the scene in front of me. I wasn't sure what I was doing, but my feet moved on their own, bringing me closer to Althea and Spade.
A few more steps and I'd reach them. But then, reality hit me.
Why are you walking toward them? What do you even plan to say when you get there? Are you really about to make a fool of yourself in front of them?
A hollow laugh escaped me. Impulsive as always, Xyrine.
I was about to step back when Spade's gaze suddenly shifted in my direction.
For a split second, I thought he saw me. But before that could happen, a man suddenly appeared in front of me, pulling me into an embrace.
"Enjoying hurting yourself?" he whispered.
"L-Louren?" I stammered, unable to believe what I was seeing.
He simply smiled at me before draping his jacket over my head.
"Let's get out of here first," he said before leading me away.
"What are you doing here? Why are you here?" I asked as soon as we arrived at a nearby park.
"Following you."
"Following me? Wait… don't tell me—?"
"I've known everything since the pageant," he replied, gently rocking himself on the swing.
My mouth fell slightly open. "You know I'm an assassin?"
"Assassin?" He chuckled softly. "You mean a high-ranking assassin, a top-priority criminal, and one of the most-wanted individuals on the list of prominent private organizations?"
"If that's the case, then why are you telling me this? Do you realize you might get killed for knowing?" I asked in disbelief.
"Well, this is such a shame, but I've actually been looking for you since the first time we met."
"First time? Met? What do you mean?" I asked, my brows furrowing in confusion.
"We had our first encounter in Florida a few months ago. Yeah, I was one of the Blue Eagle agents who almost caught you, if you can recall," he replied calmly.
I felt my jaw practically drop to the ground. "What?! That was you? Wait, something's not right! I mean, I'm one of the top criminals your agency has been desperately trying to capture, and you're one of their agents. So why the hell are we casually talking like this?!"
He simply smiled at my long-winded outburst. "I think it's a little too late to question that now. It's ironic, but"—he flashed a ridiculously sweet smile—"instead of me capturing you, it turns out you've captured me instead. Right here." He pointed to his chest before grinning at me.
Psh. Cheesy. I laughed at his words but, without meaning to, my gaze lingered on him. Black cap, sunglasses, plain black shirt—despite the simplicity, he was undeniably handsome. If fate hadn't played a cruel joke on me, maybe...
Maybe...
My smile instantly faded at the thought of Spade. I lowered my gaze, staring at my feet, when he suddenly reached out and tugged at both of my cheeks.
"Aww!" I yelped in pain.
"I don't know what Spade is doing, but there's one thing I do know—you're too cute to be looking so sad. So, how about this?" He took off his sunglasses and rested his chin on his hand, looking straight at me.
"Be mine instead?"
For a second, I almost agreed to his proposal. Good thing I caught myself in time.
"Ugh, whatever," I replied with a small smile.
When he didn't respond, the atmosphere around us suddenly shifted.
"You know what would be a great idea?" He locked eyes with me before speaking again.
"What?" I asked.
"Run away with me."
The seriousness in his expression left me speechless. I couldn't tell if he was joking or not. As much as I wanted to say yes, I knew it was far too late for that now. Silence fell between us again.
"Trust him."
I turned to look at him.
"I've known Spade since we were kids. I know you're probably confused about everything happening right now, but trust me, when he says he likes you, he means it. You just need to believe him. Don't let anything else get into your head unless he says so himself. Everything will be okay. Just trust him." His voice was firm as he gazed into the distance.
"But what if… what if he's already interested in someone else?"
Poke.
"Oww!"
"That dumb thought and this adorable dimple of yours—those are definitely what I'll miss the most about you."
I frowned. "Huh? But we'll see each other tomorrow, right?"
"Maybe. But I think this will be our last time having a conversation like this." He looked away again, a bittersweet smile playing on his lips.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm going back to America soon. I'm an agent of the Blue Eagle Agency, and I have some matters to take care of."
I froze. "W-What?!"
"Yeah, I'm leaving. But," he stopped swinging and turned to face me, his gaze unwavering. "If things between you and Spade don't work out, I swear..."
He took a deep breath before flashing a confident grin.
"I'LL COME BACK AND TAKE YOU FOR MYSELF."
Montreal University
The Next Day
I woke up late, so naturally, I arrived at the university late as well. Since it was already break time, I headed straight to the cafeteria.
"Cous, why did you even come? Are you feeling okay now?"
"I'm fine," I replied to Ella with a smile.
"You should've just stayed home," she muttered under her breath, but I still caught it.
I frowned. "Why?"
She hesitated. "Huh? Nothing! Nothing!"
"What is it?"
"Ah, um… have you checked the bulletin board yet?" she asked, avoiding my gaze.
For some reason, my chest tightened. A sudden sense of unease settled in, and without another word, I stood up and rushed out of the cafeteria, heading straight for the pavilion where the bulletin board was located.
I hadn't even gotten close yet, but I could already see a crowd of students gathered in front of it. Squeezing my way through, I tried to read what had caught everyone's attention.
"You are all cordially invited to the upcoming engagement party of Mr. Spade Inigo Sy and Ms. Althea Buenavista."
Wait… am I reading this right? Spade and Althea? But… how?
Slowly, I took a step back, my hand instinctively covering my mouth.
I thought Althea was just bluffing about the engagement last time, but it never occurred to me that there was a real possibility.
Is this the reason why Spade hasn't contacted me at all? Is this it?
My slow steps turned into a desperate sprint. I ran toward the maze and collapsed onto the ground. The wind blew gently, yet I could feel the sting in the corners of my eyes. Tilting my head back, I tried to stop the tears from falling.
"Why are you here?"
I looked up at the person who spoke. The moment I saw who it was, I quickly wiped away any trace of emotion.
"Because I'm not there!" I shot back, forcing out a laugh.
He let out a soft chuckle. "You always make me laugh, but I can't even make you smile."
I turned to him, my expression faltering. Don't tell me… he knows too? A bitter smile formed on my lips. I felt stupid.
"Louren," I muttered, staring at the ground. "You told me I should trust him. You said if he told me he liked me, I should believe him because he means it. But why does it feel like he's already forgotten everything about us? Is this all I was to him?" I took a deep breath before continuing. "You know what hurts the most? While I'm here, confused and in pain, he seems completely unbothered—"
I gasped when Louren suddenly pulled me into a hug.
I wanted to push him away, but I had no strength left. "I'm sorry, Louren. I want to let go, but…" I buried my face in his shoulder. "I guess… I like him that much." A small, broken laugh escaped my lips.
"Then listen to your heart." He pulled away, looking straight at me. "If you want to fight for him, then fight."
His words snapped me back to reality. "You're right. I need to see him! I need to clear this up! If I did something wrong, then I'll apologize!"
Determined, I stood up, ready to leave, but Louren suddenly grabbed my arm.
"I'll come with you," he said with a smile. I nodded in agreement.
CAFETERIA
The moment we stepped into the cafeteria, my eyes immediately found Spade. The second our gazes met, I smiled at him, and to my relief, he smiled back.
But something felt… off.
I was about to approach him when he suddenly turned to Althea, placing a hand on the back of her neck. She stiffened, clearly caught off guard.
For some reason, my stomach twisted with unease.
His eyes flickered back to mine, and I froze as the corner of his lips curved into a smirk. Before I could even process what he was about to do, I turned away.
I walked out of the cafeteria, my steps slow and heavy.
"Xyrine!" Louren grabbed my arm.
I smiled weakly at him. "I'm okay," I whispered before walking away.
This whole thing is confusing. I don't even understand what's happening anymore, but one thing is clear—it hurts. It hurts so much.
"Xyrine Jean!"
Before I could react, someone grabbed my arm and spun me around so fast that I barely registered what was happening.
PAK!
A sharp sting spread across my cheek as the sound of the slap echoed around us. The metallic taste of blood coated my tongue.
"Here you are, you b*tch! So tell me, did you enjoy that slap?"
"Monique?" I blinked in shock as I stared at her furious face.
She scoffed and crossed her arms. "Tss. Aren't you even going to ask why I slapped you?"
I opened my mouth, but no words came out.
PAK!
This time, my head snapped to the other side. My skin burned from the force of her palm.
"You deserved that! You have gone too far!" her voice shook with anger.
"I don't even know what you're talking about," I whispered as I touched my cheek.
Monique let out a sharp laugh. "Really? Then why don't you go back to the cafeteria and see what the hell I am talking about?"
My heartbeat quickened. "What do you mean?"
She took a step closer and narrowed her eyes at me. "You really want to know? Fine! Because of you, two of the 4KINGS are fighting right now. Spade and Louren. Now tell me, are you happy now? Are you satisfied?"
I felt the blood drain from my face. My breath hitched as the weight of her words settled in my chest.
Without another word, I turned on my heel and ran. I didn't stop. I didn't care about the looks people gave me as I pushed past them. My only thought was to get to the cafeteria.
When I arrived, the sight before me made my stomach drop.
A crowd had gathered. Students whispered among themselves, their faces filled with shock and excitement. In the middle of it all, Louren was on the floor, his breathing heavy as he wiped the blood from the corner of his lip. Spade towered over him with his fists clenched and his chest rising and falling. His expression was dark. His entire presence radiated rage.
"What the hell is going on?" I barely recognized my own voice.
Spade moved again, his fist tightening as he took another step toward Louren.
Before he could throw another punch, I rushed forward and stood between them. I didn't think. I just moved.
"Move." His voice was cold and devoid of any hesitation.
"Spade, stop this," I said as I looked at him with wide eyes.
He didn't move. He didn't blink. He just stared at me like he wasn't even seeing me at all.
"Spade," I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I wouldn't even argue if you want everything between us to stop."
He didn't react, but something flickered in his gaze.
I took a deep breath as my fingers curled into fists at my sides. "In fact, maybe this is for the best. If I'm the reason you are acting like this. Then maybe it's better if we just end this now."
His jaw tightened.
"What are you saying?" His voice was quiet, but it carried a weight that made my chest ache.
"Let's end this here," I said with as much strength as I could muster.
He didn't move. He didn't say anything.
I turned away before he could see my resolve waver. I reached for Louren and helped him to his feet. Without looking back, I took slow steps away.
"Is this what you really want?" His voice cut through the silence.
I kept walking.
"You really want a break-up?"
I stopped.
I didn't turn around immediately. I closed my eyes for a brief moment and took a shaky breath before finally facing him.
"Yes," I said. My voice barely came out, but I knew he heard me.
I forced a small, bitter smile.
"It's over, Spade."