Chapter 5—How were you able to pull a trigger like a pro?

Aria’s POV

Just as another car pulled up with a loud screeching sound against the coal-tiled pavement, I felt my entire body tense. My hand gripped the gun tighter, and my heart was almost racing as my mind was already bracing for another wave of chaos.

‘Still on the first day, is this what I will have to face every single day?’ I thought to myself.

For a moment, I thought the Giovanni men were back because, honestly, I wasn’t ready for round two—not without having had a perfect 30 minutes of peace of mind since I got in contact with Kraven. But then, I have to do the needful.

He turned to me and noticed the way I was still holding onto the gun like it was my last lifeline.

“That’s my men over there,” he said calmly the moment he observed the plate number of the car that had just pulled over. “They’re late, yeah, but it's better late than never. By now, you should know that as long as you’re with me, nothing will happen to you.”

I nodded and relaxed my grip just a little. “It’s fine. Thank you,” I replied quietly. But inside, I was still guarded. Trust didn’t come easy, not anymore.

Then, out of nowhere, he threw a question that made my stomach twist.

“That reminds me, how were you able to pull a trigger like that? Aren’t you supposed to be an artist? Do artists pull triggers too?”

I swallowed hard, keeping my face as neutral as I could. “Let’s just say... it just happened. Self-defense can make people do things they didn’t think they could. That’s all there is to it.”

He let out a soft chuckle; he would have been more amused than anything. “And you expect me to believe that real quick?”

“You really need to believe it,” I said, meeting his gaze. “Because it’s the truth.”

He stared at me longer than felt comfortable, as if trying to read something written between my words.

“Anyway,” he said finally, “no matter how badly you don’t want to admit it, I see something in you. And the best word to describe it is ‘potential. Something I could use. But listen carefully—on this side of the world, I don’t trust anyone. So I’ll let it slide, but my eyes are on you.”

Before I could respond, the car door opened, and three men stepped out. Tall, dressed in black, all looking alert. One of them approached Kraven. They took a little moment in the car; I wouldn't know what they might have discussed in there, but somehow I cared less about that.

“Hello, boss, sorry we couldn’t get here early,” one of them goes on to explain. “We had to make sure the coast was clear before arriving. Sorry for any inconvenience this might have caused you.”

Kraven gave a slight nod. “It’s fine. You know, at least you are here now. Besides, you could see we already have them gunned down.”

I noticed the shocked expression they had on when they heard that—“We had them gunned down.” But then, Kraven wasn't even interested in explaining to them that I shot one dead person while he took care of the other three.

Kraven walked over to the bodies on the ground, and I watched as he crouched slightly and studied them carefully. There was a shift in his expression—more like something calculating. Then he turned back to me.

“Aria, right?” he said.

“Yeah. That’s my name.”

“You claimed you only pulled the trigger in self-defense,” he said, gesturing to the dead men I did shoot. “But the guy you shot got it straight in the forehead. That’s not something just anyone pulls off. You know that, right? Only someone who’s handled a gun—really handled one—could manage that.”

I held my breath, but I tried so much that my face gave nothing away.

“Let’s just say I was lucky… who knows, desperate as well,” I replied. “That kind of combination can make people hit bullseyes.”

He didn’t look convinced. He stepped toward me with his eyes narrowed.

“I’ll only believe you,” he said, “if you can prove it at my will.”

I didn’t respond because at this point there was nothing I could say that would change his mind. Again, trying to defend something too much tends to look like lies, and I have always known that silence was safer than overexplaining.

“Let’s go,” he said and walked toward the car.

I followed him, sliding into the passenger seat beside him. The other men got into their own car and trailed behind us.

The drive lasted about thirty minutes, quiet except for the hum of the road and the occasional street lamp shining by. I didn’t speak. Neither did he. But I kept checking the mirrors, watching for tails. That's an old habit of mine that has lasted for a lifetime. 

Eventually, he pulled into a small parking space outside a corner restaurant. It looked modest—nothing too flashy.

“You can stay in the car or join me,” he said. “I want to grab some pizza, and this is my best spot in town for that.”

Before I could respond, he was already out and shutting the door behind him.

I let out a breath. My heart was still beating faster than I liked in a manner I couldn't help it. Just as I was about to open the door and follow, my phone rang. I pulled it out quickly and answered when I saw the name.

“Hello, sir,” I said.

“Progress report.” Mr. Thompson’s voice was as dry and direct as always.

“From how it’s going, I’ll probably get time alone with him tonight, and that's definitely a headway.”

“Good job,” he said. “Now, a new objective is—make sure you go home with the target. At all costs.”

I froze. You could imagine such guts he got.

That request made my skin crawl. For a second, I considered pushing back because that made me look like a low-budget prostitute. But I knew better. I was on duty. And duty came first, no matter how it made me feel.

“Copy that,” I said.

The call ended and I dropped the phone on my lap and stared out the window.

Eating with the devil? Then I better get myself a longer spoon.

Just then another thought came—what if he had the car bugged? My eyes moved across the dashboard. Kraven didn’t strike me as the trusting type. He could’ve planted a recorder in here easily. I made a mental note—next time, no calls in the car. A message would’ve been smarter to the best of my knowledge.

As I couldn't follow him up immediately, there was no need to do that now, and I had to stay back.

Minutes later, Kraven returned. He knocked on the window, holding a brown paper bag and two sodas.

“You didn't bother coming in with me. You know, you never cease to give me more reasons to see you as a suspect and I think I know what you are up to this time.” He snapped the moment he got to the car.