Chapter three—Fake Or Not

As he raised his knife to deliver his final blow, a sudden kick sent it flying from his grasp.

The assassin spun around, shock etched on his face, as a figure plunged a blade into his stomach. He crumpled to the ground, lifeless. Lexi's gaze drifted upward, her eyes widening in horror as she beheld the killer – Antonio Saint Claire.

Blood drained from her face, and her eyes fluttered closed as she struggled to remain conscious. But the poison's grip was too strong, and Lexi succumbed to darkness.

 The last thing she remembered was his footsteps as he carried her in his arms.

Few moments later, Lexi's eyes fluttered open. She was shocked to find herself caged in a bird cage. Her wounds were taken care of, but that only made her more furious. She banged the cage with her hands. "OPEN THIS CAGE!" "OPEN THIS CAGE, YOU BASTARDS!" The guards at the door just laughed. Their laughter sending a chill down her spine.

Antonio approached, and the guards opened the door for him. He crouched beside her cage, his eyes locked on hers. "Let me out while I'm still being nice," Lexi warned, clenching her fists.

Antonio's gaze drifted downward, and Lexi followed his line of sight. Her face burned as she realized he was staring at her chest. She quickly covered herself with her hands, her tight-fitting shirt offering little protection.

Antonio's gaze lingered on her chest, his eyes seeming to bore into her skin. She glared at him, her voice low and menacing. "Look at my face, not my body."

"Sorry, I love boobs," he said with a wink,his eyes glinting with amusement "and I love standing breasts." Lexi's frown deepened, utter disgust etched on her face.

Her anger boiled over, and she lunged at the cage, her hands grasping for him. The heavy scent of his cologne hit her nose and her eyes began to itch. She was severely allergic to rose-scented perfumes, and this one was no exception. Her face instantly flushed red, and she felt a familiar tingling sensation in her throat.

"Ugh, what's that disgusting smell?" she spat, her voice laced with venom.

"Move away!" she choked, coughing and struggling to breathe. He immediately retreated, his face twisted in anger. The guards closed the door behind him, and he stormed to his room.

As soon as he entered, he ripped off his electronic mask, revealing a face marred by a massive scar. His eyes blazed with fury.

"Why must she react differently to me?" he seethed, his fists clenched. With a snarl, he punched the bedside mirror, shattering it.

A maid, who had been cleaning the room, gasped. He spun around, his face contorted in rage. "You fucking bitch!" he bellowed, slapping her across the face.

The maid stumbled, pleading, "Please forgive me, Sir, I was just-" but her words were cut short. With a twisted grin, he stabbed her in the stomach with a shard of broken glass. She crumpled to the floor, lifeless.

He crouched beside her, his eyes gleaming with madness as he licked the blood from the floor like a maniac.

Inside her cage, Lexi's eyes gleamed with mischief as she devised a plan to escape. She spotted a window at the top of the room, a tantalizing promise of freedom, but first she had to get out of this f*cking cage.

She smiled mischievously as she carved out her plan.

"Hey, you there!" She said as she held her throat pretending to be feverish and the guard ignored her and Lexi's lips curved into a sly smile. It was this time she doubled down on her act, clutching her throat and falling on the ground.

"Please I need water... I'm thirsty" she whispered, her eyes pleading. This time the guard answered her.

He opened the cage door, handed her water through the bars, and Lexi drank greedily, gulping hard. "Thank you, you're a lifesaver," she said, lying down tiredly. The guard smiled proudly, oblivious to Lexi's deception.

'Fool' she thought

Few minutes later, Lexi began to convulse, shaking like an epileptic patient. Her legs hit the metal bars as she groaned. "Ahh! Please help me!" The guards rushed to her side, concerned.

"What's happening to her?" one guard exclaimed.

The other guard panicked. "Go call the healer, quick!".

Lexi's screams grew louder,more urgent. The remaining guard quickly opened the cage to assist her and Lexi seized her chance.

As soon as the cage door swung open, Lexi kneed the guard in the groin with three precise strikes to his neck, rendering him unconscious. She ignored the torturous equipment on a nearby table,her focus fixed on escape as she dragged it to the window.

The window was locked so she took the hammer on the table and smashed the window breaking the glass into pieces.

She jumped down,her heart racing with adrenaline. She spotted a guard and struck him with the hammer and dragged him to a corner.

A few minutes later she came out dressed in the guard's uniform.

Meanwhile the guard who had gone to call the doctor returned with him, and they were both met with a scene of chaos. The guard lying unconscious on the ground and Lexi was nowhere to be found.

"Oh no, shit!" the guard cursed.

"Where is the patient?" the doctor asked confusion etched in his face.

The guards eyes darted wildly, his face pale with fear.

"Treat him first," he replied already knowing he was in trouble.

 "I'll go meet the boss."

The doctor rushed to the unconscious guard's side, checking his vital signs. "He's been knocked out cold," the doctor muttered. "We need to get him to the infirmary, now."

The other guards mind reeled with the implications of Lexi's escape. He quickly pulled out his radio, his hands shaking as he called for backup. "We have a code red, prisoner escape. Requesting assistance in sector 3."

As he waited for a response, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was in big

 trouble. The guard's fear turned into dread as he proceeded to the Boss's room. He pushed the door open and his eyes widened in horror. The Boss crouched beside the maid's lifeless body, his face smeared with blood 

"Boss..." The guard stuttered, his voice barely audible. The Boss raised his hand, silencing him.

"Find her," the Boss growled his eyes blazing with fury.

"I don't care how you do it. If you don't bring her back within ten minutes, I'll cut you into tiny pieces and send your body to your family as muffins for them to eat."