Chapter Two

Jane hailed a taxi and demanded to be sent to a hotel. As she stepped down in front of the hotel, a pickpocket snatched her purse and bolted with it. She was lucky to have paid the cab driver already. She was left with no strength to chase and no money to survive on. She sat down and began to cry her eyes out. 

“What's wrong young lady?” a man asked. “I just got robbed,” Jane answered. “My name is Phil Anderson,” he stretched for a handshake. “I'm Jane… Jane Blackwood,” her hand met his. 

Phil rented a room for Jane in the five-star hotel just close to his room. He paid for everything that involved Jane. They went out for lunch a few days later. Then Jane asked, “You've been extremely helpful, who are you, really?” Phil’s broad shoulders stiffened, his jawline hardened but his face remained as handsome as always.

“I'm not supposed to tell you this, but… I'm a secret agent here on a mission in Paris.” Jane laughed so hard in disbelief, but Phil’s face remained serious. She then realized he wasn't kidding. “Can you train me to become like you?” Jane asked. “It’s unprofessional but I can teach you how to be a ghost, defend yourself, and maneuver your way out of tight situations.”

Jane looked pleased. She then described what she had been through back at home. Phil’s jaw tightened as she went on with her story. “If you want revenge, I suggest you change your looks, train with me while I teach you everything I know,” he proposed. “Great,” Jane accepted. 

Jane underwent surgery two days after to reconstruct her face, but her eyes remained the same. Her appearance was drastically altered. Her once soft, blonde hair was now a severe, glossy black, pulled back into a tight, elegant knot. “I’m Kate Vance now,” she said while looking in the mirror at her flat.

Five years later.

Kate Vance stood on the rooftop of her apartment in Paris. She was no longer the weak, scared girl who had fled her home. Her training had been successful, forging her into a fearless young woman with revenge in sight. Everyone back in California heard of her disappearance, and they all believed her dead. Exactly how she wanted it to be. 

This was her final morning in Paris. The training was complete. “You are ready," a voice said from behind her. It was Phil. He has had success in finally forging Jane—Kate into a fighter, and most importantly how to think like a predator.

Phil stepped beside her, “The money is in place. You have a new identity, Kate Vance. You're now a financial consultant specializing in hostile takeovers and corporate restructuring. Your reputation for being ruthless and unemotional makes you a perfect ghost.”

Jane turned to Phil, “Michael Curry will not recognize me. I'll make him trust me, then I'll land the final blow.” Phil tapped her shoulder, “Don't lose sight of the plan. Infiltrate, seduce, and destroy. The most important part is to stay invincible.”

Kate recalled the years of rigorous training, the internal monologue of her past self screaming in protest as she pushed her body and mind to their limits. She had learned how to be oblivious to pain, to channel her grief into a cold, hard focus. She had studied Michael Curry's life like a scientist trying to find a cure to a disease: his habits, his weaknesses, his business dealings. She knew he had renamed Blackwood Industries to Curry Industries. He was stronger now, more powerful, and therefore, a more satisfying target.

Phil handed her a new ID. She brushed her fingers against the ID, admiring what she had become—Kate Vance. She began to rehearse the plan in her mind. She would present herself as a consultant whose expertise was irresistible to a man like Michael. She would get close, uncover the truth about her father, and then, she would make Michael fall in love with her. When he was at his most vulnerable, she would shatter him, just as he had shattered her family.

She took a last sip of her drink, walked into her apartment, and packed her belongings.

A few hours later, Kate was on a private jet, heading back to California. The jet shook as they soared through the cloudy sky. She opened a file in her briefcase, which contained a detailed analysis of Curry Industries. A message popped up on her phone, “Michael will be attending a corporate gala in soon, an event that would draw the city’s elite,” Kate read out loud as her lips curved into a smile. 

As the plane descended, the familiar skyline of her home city appeared from the clouds. Memories of her horrible past flooded her, a brief moment of pain, but she suppressed it quickly. That girl was dead. 

The plane touched down. Kate stepped out, stood for a bit, and inhaled some air. It was different from that of Paris. The air was filled with betrayal and lies.

A white Rolls-Royce was packed, waiting for her. As it drove toward the city center, the towering glass and steel building of Curry Industries came into sight, a monument to Michael's success and her family's ruin.

The next morning, Kate stepped into the hall of Curry Industries. It had been renovated into a vast, impeccable arena. The sound of her heels drummed against the floor, announcing her presence. She was here to have a meeting with the Head of Acquisitions, a necessary step in her infiltration. 

As she waited by the reception desk, Michael walked out of the elevator door. He looked taller than she could remember. His aura was deafening, his hair was shorter, his beard well-trimmed, and his body was that of a gym maniac. He was on his phone, his expression meant, the call was important. 

Kate lost her composure. The sight of him sent an electric wave through her core, leaving her hands shaking for a moment. She rushed her hands into her pockets and clenched her fist inside. 

Michael scanned the room as he walked towards the exit. He passed within a foot of her, the scent of his expensive perfume filled her lungs—a scent she remembered from childhood. It was a brutal reminder of her past. 

They locked eyes. He scanned her from the top of her hair, her tailored suit, and down to her towering heels. Kate’s heart skipped a beat as she thought Michael had made her out despite her different looks. But then, he paced past her. He only saw a beautiful, impeccably dressed woman, nothing more. 

He stepped through the revolving door and vanished into the city street.

Kate realized she had been holding her breath. She exhaled loudly. She felt invincible, but the shock she felt when he got close sent shivers down her spine. She had prepared for the monster but not the man.