Chasing the Huntress

I leisurely flipped the corner of the page of the book I read quietly on the small café’s exterior terrace. The last rays of the sun shone brightly on what was a perfectly normal day for me. I had ordered my usual—a strong cup of coffee and a croissant. I came to this particular café every day for the last month, and the server didn’t even have to ask me what I wanted since I always got the same thing. Hence, the usual.I was lost in my book when the young man brought my coffee with a smile and quickly dashed to another table to take a customer’s order. Without taking my eyes off the book, I searched for the handle of my mug, and when I found it, I brought the cup to my lips and sipped on the delicious hot liquid. I hummed in delight, then set it back on the table and raised my eyes to survey the terrace. I was technically on duty, waiting for my target to arrive.The sun was setting, and I didn’t want to stay here longer than necessary. I checked my watch and encouraged myself to give

Jace POVI received a message that I had to attend an urgent meeting on the president’s floor. I picked up my pace, but I made sure to hold my head high so as not to appear panicked or rushed. I didn’t want to wrinkle my suit or attract any attention from the hard-working staff on my floor. We rarely got called into impromptu meetings, so I knew it must be serious.When I arrived at the boardroom, most directors were already there, waiting patiently for the man who had called the session. I sat near the room's far end and waited for the hostess to bring me something to drink. She appeared quickly but didn’t look me in the eye as she handed me a glass of red liquid. I sipped it slowly, relishing the taste and the opportunity to calm my nerves.The room was eerily silent, and I could sense everyone was on edge. No one understood why we had been called to this impromptu conference.The boardroom was spacious and could comfortably hold all twenty Harrington and Leigh Corporation directors.

I arrived at Moe’s shop early in the morning, just as Bea unlocked the door to let me in. She greeted me with a broad smile and held the door open for me as I stepped inside.As suspected, last night’s sparring with Lukas made my ribs and arms sore. But I loved it. I hadn’t had a good training in months. Luckily, Moe’s opened around 9 AM, giving me enough time to sleep after my hard night of training at Sal’s.“Want a cup of coffee, Hon?” Bea asked me cheerfully.“Sure, you know how I like it,” I replied, winking at her.Bea had always been thoughtful enough to prepare the coffee machine the day before, so all she had to do was press start in the morning, and coffee would come flowing down. I waited patiently for Bea’s return on the chair in front of her desk, and when she did, she handed me my drink and sat down at her computer, typing away.“Where’s Moe?” I asked, sipping my coffee.“Oh, you know how it is with this rainy weather. His leg hurts, and—”“And the shrapnel makes it even

The sun had just begun to set, casting a soft orange hue over the sky, when I pulled up my Beetle outside the police precinct. It was the same place I had brought in Umbridge less than a week before. As I approached the front door, I noticed the workers were busy with their tasks and didn’t pay much attention to me. However, some of them who knew me shot me “please leave” glances as I walked past them. Ignoring their looks, I made my way to Dan’s desk and pulled up a chair to sit down.Dan was sorting through a messy pile of papers when he looked up and saw me. He immediately backed away, his expression stern and serious.“Do you want to get me fired?” he asked. “You know you’re no longer allowed in here unless you’re here to report a crime.”Ignoring his words, I leaned in closer, my voice low and steady. “Who bailed Michael Umbridge? They found him dead today.”Dan’s fingers ran through his hair, tugging at the strands as he felt a surge of frustration. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, “but

As the clock struck a quarter past three, I pulled my old and reliable VW into the parking lot of the Department of Motor Vehicles. I had some time to kill before I was due to meet Lukas at six, and I wanted to investigate the license plate that Dan had given me. My curiosity was piqued by the possibility that it might belong to the Harrington and Leigh Corporation. Umbridge had warned me that people would find and kill him, but he never specified who they were. I wondered if he meant the corporation he stole from and if there was some connection between them and Umbridge’s predicament. It seemed too much of a coincidence to ignore.Once I parked my car, I made my way into the DMV and scanned the area for Doris. She was a familiar face here, the oldest employee by far, and well past her retirement age. Despite this, she refused to retire and clung to her job as if it were a lifeline. Her friends had died soon after they retired, and Doris was convinced that if she stopped working, she