CHAPTER ONE. BLOOD IN THE SHADOWS

Adeline's POV 

“Bluey, are you on your way yet?” Stardust’s voice popped through my earpiece, teasing as always.

Black sneakers. Fitted pants. Knife at my hip. Mask ready. One last glance at the room—laptop glow, scattered clothes, a photo of Annabelle and me laughing on Christmas morning. Distant. Untouchable.

I slipped into the hallway, pausing at her door. Annabelle slept in her usual chaos, curled around the teddy bear I’d given her. I tugged the duvet higher, whispered, “Good night, Bells,” and left her smiling in dreams.

Outside, Breeze purred like a waiting beast. I swung on, let the engine’s growl steady me. No helmet tonight—the wind would keep me sharp. The city stretched ahead, neon and shadows tangled together. A perfect night for hunting.

“I hear you, Star, and I’m almost there,” I replied, rolling my eyes, though a tiny smirk tugged at my lips.

“I hear you, Star and I'm almost there” I replied, rolling my eyes, though a tiny smirk tugged at my lips.

“Well, I like knowing my favorite assassin is breathing,” she quipped.

Drama queen. But she was the only one I trusted. And tonight, trust mattered more than skill, more than pride.

Hours passed as I watched Phoenix Hotel from the rooftop across the street. Kayden’s suite glinted at the top—a fortress dressed in glass. I memorized every patrol, every camera, every blind spot until a narrow window finally opened. Balcony to balcony, I moved, muscles tight, senses sharp. The wind tugged at my bun, and for a breath I let the chill in—the thrill before the strike. My heart beat steady with Breeze beneath me, a silent partner in the hunt.

“Careful, someone’s coming,” Star’s warning cut through.

I only gave a silent nod, slipping past the guard and melting into shadow. The corridor outside his suite loomed ahead, alive with potential death. Laser beams crisscrossed like a living web, every thread a threat. I counted my steps, measured my leaps, imagined every possible angle of escape before taking another.

“Found it,” Star breathed. “I can clear five minutes.”

“Perfect,” I murmured, stepping lightly through the cleared path, every nerve taut, senses sharpened to the point of pain.

The door yielded under my hand. Inside, opulence glimmered: gold accents, diamond embellishments, furniture chosen to intimidate. And there he was—tall, broad, grey eyes cutting through the dim light like knives, like he had been expecting someone like me all along.

“Do you need something?” His voice rumbled, steady, unnerving.

“Yeah. Your life,” I shot back, raising the gun.

He moved with liquid precision, dodging the bullet that barely grazed his arm. I fired again; he lunged, ramming me. The gun clattered across the floor. Knife in hand, I threw it—a near miss that embedded in the wall. Our bodies collided, breaths ragged, pulses hammering. I straddled him, blade pressed to his throat. Grey eyes pinned me, calculating, silent, lethal.

“You’ve got guts,” he murmured, almost amused.

“Last chance,” I hissed, pressing harder.

He struck, blade flashing. I twisted, countering with the hilt. Every motion precise, every heartbeat a gamble. Pain flared in my left foot from the landing, but I ignored it, all focus on survival. My pulse hammered, a mix of fear and excitement that only danger could evoke.

He leaned closer, and my pulse skipped—not from fear. That gaze, the strength, the way he moved—magnetism in human form. A spark of heat ran up my spine despite the blood, sweat, adrenaline. I scowled, shaking it off. Focus.

The sound of lasers rebooting outside reminded me the clock was ticking. Star’s voice sliced through my concentration: “Uh-oh, Bluey. They know they’ve been hacked!”

“Lucky for me,” I spat, sliding my elbow into his ribs and knocking him back. Quick strike to the temple, and he hit the ground with a grunt. My pulse surged, adrenaline keeping me razor-sharp. Every sense screamed, every heartbeat screamed: move. Survive. Dominate. Run.

Footsteps pounded outside. No time to hesitate. Heart hammering, I rolled toward the balcony, swinging my legs over. The drop jolted my left foot. 

“Fuck-” pain flared in my leg, but I pressed on, landing in a crouch and scanning for guards. Breeze hummed beneath me, ready. I leapt on, straddling her, letting the wind whip my hair, eyes, and senses alive with the night.

“Blue Ray, you okay?” Star’s voice buzzed, anxious.

“Yeah. Not dying anytime soon,” I said, grin tugging at my lips despite the throbbing foot.

I shot one last glance at the hotel. Grey eyes, sharp and calculating, still burned into my memory. He wasn’t soft, he wasn’t weak—he was everything I’d anticipated and more. And me? I had danced on the edge tonight and walked away unscathed. 

Tonight, the night had been mine, and I almost had him. Or maybe I let him go. 

  The adrenaline still thrummed through my veins, echoing the rhythm of the city below. The wind tugged at my clothes, my hair, my thoughts, carrying away the tension and leaving only clarity and power.

I let myself stretch my fingers over the handlebars, feeling every contour, every vibration of Breeze beneath me. Every mission had a story, a beginning and an end, but tonight—tonight was a chapter written entirely in my favor. The city was quiet now, or perhaps I had just tuned it out, wrapped in the symphony of engines, heartbeats, and adrenaline.

And yet, even with the thrill of survival, the unspoken connection—the challenge in his eyes, the way he moved, the way he didn’t break—kept replaying in my mind. A test, a spark, a dangerous dance waiting to continue. For now, I had my night, my victory, my freedom. But I knew, deep down, this wasn’t the last time our paths would cross.

I kicked Breeze into the night, weaving through empty streets, each turn deliberate, each acceleration a silent declaration. The city belonged to no one—but tonight, for a few fleeting moments, it belonged to me.

And as the neon lights blurred past, as the cool night air stung my skin and the world below stretched infinitely, I let myself smile. Not the reckless, unthinking smile of a girl seeking danger, but the knowing, dangerous smile of an assassin who had stepped into the storm and walked away untouched. 

Almost.

My pocket buzzed. A single notification lit the screen from an unknown number.

Nice try, Bluey. See you soon.

The blood in my veins went ice-cold. He hadn’t just seen me. He was already waiting.