Deceptive Intentions

As my car turned another corner, my phone buzzed with incoming texts, followed by a call. I sighed softly, anticipating another interruption.

"You need to see this."

"Devon is definitely cheating on you. A real time two-timer."

I read through the messages sent to me from Mariana, my bestfriend who had automatically became my sister through thick and thin.

I clicked the screen of my phone and a tremor ran through my body as the images on the screen caught me off guard. The first image was the familiar face of Devon, my boyfriend, talking to a brunette who surprisingly had her hands draped around him. It could probably be a business meeting or some out of the office talk..

Another was a picture of them entering into an hotel room together.

This was no business meeting.

We'd talked earlier before I went over to the shopping mall to get groceries. He went on hammering on how he planned to nail his proposals in Spain, assuring me of his return when he was done with his project.

I smirked to myself. Who was he fooling? He doesn't even know I was in LA.

I zoomed in on the room's number - what if the paparazzi had intended to fabricate the whole news? But it was true, I knew the hotel and where it was situated.

Everything felt surreal to me.

My heart lurched frantically out of me, my chest tightened that it felt like I was suffocating.

I think I lost it.

The world fizzled out momentarily. I heard a yell and a scream as my car skidded sideways. Swiftly, I swirled the steering wheel for control and pressed down on the brake pedal, bringing my car to a sudden halt.

"Are you mad!" a spiky headed man poked his head outside as his red Chevrolet wind close.

My head swung to his direction as my head ached from the sudden impact of the sudden stop. As he didn't get any response from me, his brows twitched then he shot me the middle finger before his car drove away.

Devon didn't just lie to me, did he?

It happened he just did. Devon and I had been secretly dating for 3 years. Dad never knew about him, and Devon had been insistent in meeting him. We talked occasionally, met up when I was given holidays while I schooled at the Redwood Academy in Florida.

Dad never wanted me to be in a relationship, he was thoroughly against it - pointed real scenarios where it would affect my career as an assassin. But I guessed I was stubborn, he didn't know what love was.

I did.

I just didn't realize the weight of his words at that time. Maybe, that was why I had it hidden from him. For the first time, I truly experienced what it was to fall in love and my father wouldn't understand that.

But I was beginning to see through it all. Love did make one to be extremely woozy to think things through, weak, and feeble-hearted.

Devon was my first boyfriend, my first love - we did things I wouldn't have dreamt of doing: had my first kiss, date and dated before we finally made out. He was the son of a prominent senator in Florida. Devon was the ladies' man, but he chose me.

Me!

He said that over and over. How could I have had all those trainings over at Redwood and I couldn't detect one who was obviously using me to pass time.

How could I be so stupid?

I'd met him at a conference where I was performing my year one practical tests for my academy and I had dressed like the daughter of a vastly wealthy billionaire - engaging him in a spellbinding conversation.

He had been captivated by me, hooked by my poise and composure . He had been so engrossed in me that he intently asked for my contact - begging to see me again.

Devon soon wanted more. He wanted to meet my family, he wanted me in his future which felt impossible at that moment for me.

I'd begged him to be patient with me, perhaps when I was done schooling I would introduce him to my father. At first, Devon had been pissed, he threw tantrums and shut me out for awhile - he believed that I had someone else in my life.

Later, he returned two weeks later being the sweetest man on earth and it had been rosy. He never complained, never insisted on having it his way. Infact, he was well understanding which made my heart fluttered.

He didn't know a thing about me - except knowing Mariana as my sister and the fact that I would do anything for him.

But he hadn't been patient enough, I concluded.

And he made me believe his lies that he was on a trip to Spain to submit a proposal for his new business idea he had in mind.

"This is unbelievable," I scoffed to myself, eyeing the cars that sped past me.

I was getting weak, feeble to think through my lazy thoughts. What happened to the woman I have become?

Not the woman my dad would think of me, narrow-minded and weak!

The car roared back to life as I ignited the key while casting a mirrored glance at my rearview mirror. Carefully, I swerved to the other lane intent on confronting the cheat that had broken my heart.

*****

Angel's hotel was hoisted high in a six storey building once I arrived at its garage. I was familiarized with the surrounding as images from the past swept my memory.

My fingers instinctively wrapped around the rifle's grip, which was concealed in a backpack. Normally, it was stored in the car trunk, but luckily, I had it with me today.

I picked up a hand bag, shoved a lengthy, golden wig on my head. Then, I plugged my sniper into my dark jacket. My once-ragged breaths had subsided, but I was intent on finding out if Devon was truly cheating on me.

Mariana's call came through again as I applied some lipgloss, tried a wry smile back at my reflection on the rear mirror before I finally picked.

"Where are you, Zenny?"

"No time for calls Mari, I need to face the cheat himself", I replied her.

"Christ!" She yelled, "You are in Los Angeles? What the hell, Zenny, Zenny, listen to me. I know you're angry and there are a lot of things going on in your mind....."

"Mari, cut to the chase. I don't have all the time in the world." I interrupted her.

Yeah, I was going to confirm my fears once and be done with his stinking ass.

Fury.

I was riled up which was a shame to my professional skills.

"Zenny, please don't do anything foolish." She said after finding her voice.

"Mariana, I don't need your convincing...," and with that, my thumb clicked against the red button and shoved the phone into an empty spot in my jacket and started towards the entrance.

I crept by the lobby, threw a quick smile while walking past. To the east of the lobby, two couples walked out of a hall hand-in-hand while smiling up at the hefty men who secured the room.

I slipped past the lobby, flashing a quick smile as I walked by. Beyond the lobby, two couples emerged from a hall, hand in hand, beaming up at the burly men guarding the room.

Probably a celebration, I thought to myself.

I scanned the hallway, taking note of the camera angles as I emerged from the elevator.

The passage was eerily silent, which was a welcome relief.

My eyes skated across the template numbers of each room before I finally arrived at the precise room.

"This is it."

My stomach rippled as a thought evidently arched across my head while my hand reached for the electronic lock.

With a quick camera check, I pulled out my tools and started manipulating the lock's mechanism.

With a technique so strong and smoothly efficient, I was able to bypass the lock, without triggering the alarm.

A click responded.

I stepped back from the electronic lock, satisfaction surging through my loins.