Love Amidst Shadows: A Mafia Romance Story

The mechanical voice finished speaking. My hand froze, gripping my phone.

The system's voice was indifferent and emotionless.

[New Noob-level Mission: Resist the temptation to expose them. Stay outside the car, don't disturb them, and take a photo of the two.]

[Mission Reward: $1 million in cash. Revenge main quest unlocked.]

[Failure Penalty: Elimination of the host.]

I stared at the familiar Tesla Model 3. It was the new car I had just purchased last month for my wife, Joanna Laker, to drive around.

The car body was shaking rhythmically and violently. I could vaguely hear the nauseating sounds coming from inside.

My nails dug into the car paint.

I wanted to smash the car window and drag the adulterous couple out to kill them, but the system's red warning light was flashing wildly.

I took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging anger in my chest. Trembling, I raised my phone. With the help of the dim street lights, I aimed my camera at the car window.

Click! I took three photos in succession.

[Task completed. $1 million has been credited.]

My phone vibrated. A text message from my bank followed immediately.

Looking at the extra string of zeros in my balance, the corner of my eye twitched.

A few minutes later, the shaking of the car stopped.

The door opened. A disheveled Joanna stepped out and adjusted her skirt.

A shirtless Greg Adams followed behind with a smug look, giving Joanna a hard squeeze on the waist. "Joanna, you have a very strong core."

Joanna playfully punched him. "Hey, what if someone sees us?"

Greg scoffed. "So what if they see us? What can your useless husband do to me?"

I hid in the shadows behind a stone pillar, clenching my teeth until I tasted the metallic taste of blood.

I composed myself, pretending to have just arrived, and stepped out of the shadows.

My footsteps startled them.

Joanna screamed in fright, her face instantly turning deathly pale.

Greg reacted quickly, shielding Joanna behind him and looking at me defiantly. "Oh, isn't this Mr. Noah Hughes? What are you doing here?"

When Joanna saw it was me, the panic in her eyes instantly turned to disgust. She struck first. "Noah! Were you following me?"

I looked at the still-visible red mark on her neck. Forcing back the nausea in my stomach, I forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "The app alerted me that the car was vibrating abnormally. I was worried something might've happened to you, so I came to check and pick you up from work."

Joanna paused for a moment before resuming her haughty demeanor. "The car just broke down! Mr. Adams happened to be passing by and fixed it for me. What kind of dirty thoughts are you projecting onto me?"

Greg crossed his arms, looking at me contemptuously. "Yeah, Noah. Why are you so suspicious? No wonder Joanna said she felt suffocated with you. Men should be more magnanimous."

As he spoke, he straightened Joanna's disheveled collar right in front of me, unabashed at acting so intimately with her.

I clenched and unclenched my fist.

Just then, the system issued another task.

[Mission #2: Invite the other man to have supper and offer to pay.]

[Mission Reward: $500,000 in cash, patience level +10.]

Looking at their repulsive faces, I smiled and extended the invitation. "Since Mr. Adams has been so helpful, how about we have supper together to show him our gratitude?"