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Chapter 5
Huling Na-update:
2025-04-15 04:45:44Ilana had been given three days and three days only for her observation period.
Helene made sure to call her at the *ss crack of dawn on the fourth morning, reminding her that it was time for action now.
The call had only resulted in a cranky Ilana and in turn, a very off-character Rosie.
Helene had never bothered her like that before. She always let Ilana take control of the missions, trusting in her skills.
She did ask for biweekly reports but that was all.
Now, Ilana wondered what made this mission different from the others.
She pinched the bridge of her nose, a headache blooming through her temples.
She needed to be on her best for what she was about to do today.
To add to her worries, Calix Meyers was now on his fourth day in the office as well.
She blew a breath, glancing out the glass walls of her unit.
It was one pm. Calix should be heading out soon. He came late and left too early.
Which was great for her. It made it easier for her to avoid him.
She glanced back towards the office she now knew to be Calix’s. The door opened and he stepped out as if her thoughts had conjured him.
She couldn't draw her eyes away from that effortlessly messy look on his face.
He brushed a stray brown strand from his forehead, the remnants of a smile in his eyes.
Ilana's heart skipped a beat.
He looked happy. Happier than Ilana had seen him at work. He looked like the man who had approached her at the bar two weeks ago.
She bit down on her lower lip, forcing herself to look away. This infatuation she had developed with him was absurd and a little creepy. She knew that. But she couldn't help it.
He was too beautiful to resist.
And it wasn't just true for her. She saw other girls throw hungry looks at him whenever he passed. He always ignored the looks, blissfully unaware of the attention he garnered.
She had felt a thrill of giddiness when she'd first seen him ignore the girls. She’d remembered the day he’d approached her in the bar, with that flirtatious glint in his eyes. Then she had immediately chided herself at the thought.
The doors of the elevator closed behind him and then Ilana was free. The floor was all hers. The only obstacle in her path was Calix and now he was gone. It was time to act.
She got up from her desk and made her way out of the analyst unit. She allowed Rosie's unsurety and confusion to seep into her posture as she made her way towards Adam Meyer's office with small, hesitant steps.
She made sure to look scared, glancing over her shoulder every other minute. She dropped the file in her hand and they hit the floor with a clatter.
Suddenly all eyes were on her.
Good. The more people the better.
She needed the audience as proof. She stuttered out a loud apology as she bent down and scooped the file and the fluttering papers before hurrying towards the office.
She knocked twice.
“Come in,” Adam Meyer's voice responded.
She exhaled before pushing the door open.
“Hello, Mr. Meyer,” she said, eyes gleaming excitedly.
He looked up from his work, brown eyes so identical to Calix, it made her heart stop.
But they definitely didn't share Calix's kindness. They were hard and piercing.
His dark hair was gelled back, sitting tamely on his head. There were lines around his eyes and mouth, lines that pointed to the struggles he definitely would have faced to reach where he was today.
Despite it all, he carried an aura of power and elegance. His suit was crisp, the cufflinks around his wrists glinting in the light.
“Is there something I can help you with?” he asked and something about his words made her stand straighter, as if showing any weakness in his presence was going to cost her highly.
“Yes. I.. um.. I'm sorry to disturb you but someone said you wanted to see me?”
He arched an eyebrow, fixing her with a withering look. It took all her willpower to not take a step back.
“Who sent you?” He asked.
“I don't know his name. I'm new.”
He seemed to consider her for a moment and she could feel the aristocratic supremacy in the way his eyes roved over her face, an eyebrow arched, looking for something to comment upon. A comment that was only going to be a thinly veiled insult at her daring to interrupt the CEO like this.
She bit back the inside of her cheek, suppressing an involuntary shiver. She wondered if Calix was anything like him. From that one interaction in the bar, she knew he couldn’t be but she could still very well be wrong.
“I did not call you,” he said finally and the atmosphere around them shifted as Adam Meyer’s eyes softened, his lips quirking up in an expression Ilana was unable to read.
“Oh,” she said, desperately trying to understand the change.
“What’s your name?” he asked softly and Ilana blinked.
Had she imagined the previous five minutes of his absolute annoyance?
“Uhh.. Rosie Mason. And I do apologize for wasting your time. This must have been a prank or something.”
“It's no worries,” he nodded. “Would you like to sit down?”
She tried her best to not frown. “I would like that. I’m such a huge fan.”
He smiled. She ignored it. Her mind ran a thousand miles per second as she tried to think of something to say. Anything at all. She needed to stay for a few more moments before she could excuse herself.
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Love in the Line of Fire Chapter 13
Ilana stared at the messenger for a lot longer than was acceptable.“Miss?” She blinked, her mind drifting back to the present.“Sorry. I… I completely zoned out. What were you saying?”He looked offended but quickly shrugged it off.“Mr. Meyer has asked for you.”“Mr. Adam?” she asked even though she already knew the answer, biting on her lower lip to stop the smile from spreading.“Mr. Calix Meyer.”She wondered why she wasn;t paying attention the first time. This was the kind of thing she’d been waiting for.She nodded, getting up from her desk and following the messenger towards Calix’s office.He dropped her off at the door before disappearing into the crowd. She pulled in a breath and knocked. She had to be careful of her words in front of Calix. The sooner the job got done, the better.She wasn't here to enjoy his company.“Come in,” his gruff voice replied.She walked in and he looked up, that breathtaking smile on his face. She felt her heartbeat pick up the pace. “You call
Love in the Line of Fire Chapter 12
for her. The words were a sham but they bought comfort. A candle in the dark.A candle with flickering, dying flames but a candle nonetheless. She sought the warmth from it greedily every single time. The flames had grown weaker and weaker with every life taken and she wasn’t sure how much she could give before the candle went out entirely. Until she was left in the dark with nothing to hold onto.She wasn’t sure what would happen when the flame did die. Maybe she would drown in that bleakness. Maybe that’ll be the end of Ilana Meyers.But she stroked the flame now, giving it air to breathe. She needed it to stay strong for a little longer. Ilana wasn’t done right now. She wanted her revenge. Once that was done, she would gladly allow the flame to go out.The darkness would be a welcome respite then. But she had to fight until she had her vengeance.She took in a sharp breath and looked around the room. It was messy enough to depict a crime scene but not enough to give any clues.The
Love in the Line of Fire Chapter 11
Ilana felt around the wall for a soft edge before she pushed her knife in. She pulled herself up, hooking her left leg on the pipe clip attached to the drainage pipe that ran along the back wall.Once you built the momentum, climbing wasn’t hard. Just one foot after the other. It took a lot of strength but in the end, it was just like walking. Ilana pulled the dagger free and then hooked it into the next purchase she found. She pulled herself up, using the pipe clips to give her some sort of support.She wasn’t even out of breath by the time she reached the window but her palms were red and aching slightly. She put her body weight forward, leaning against the wall as she pulled the lockpicks from her pocket.Lockpicking needed both her hands. She pulled in a breath and tried to stay as still as possible, her chest pressed against the wall. She played with the lock, her fingers working delicately. The lock gave away and she hefted the small window in, pulling herself over the ledge an
Love in the Line of Fire Chapter 10
“Helene told me you are on an undercover mission near here?” the kid asked excitedly.“Yes.”“That’s so cool. I want to do undercover missions too.”Ilana held back a scoff, letting the moment pass without commenting on it.“So, where are you stationed for this undercover mission? I know it's pretty far away from Knoxville.”Knoxville was the small town where Helene had built their supposed headquarters. That's where Ilana had spent most of her childhood, either with Vincent perfecting her throws or with Nancy learning sleight of hand or with Lily learning history and art and geography.“It is far,” she answered vaguely. “What are you doing all the way here anyway, kid?”“Oh, I'm with Vincent. He said he had business here and Helene insisted for him to take me. And then this mission came…”“Vincent is here? In West Creek?” “Err… no. Not in West Creek. We're in the city. We’re in Nashville.”Ilana frowned. She was also in Nashville for the mission.“What's he doing in Nashville?” she
Love in the Line of Fire Chapter 9
Ilana got out of her car at least twelve blocks away from the apartment she was supposed to go to and began her walk along the dark street.She usually never drove to her missions. Cars were too risky and the chance of getting caught doubled whenever a car was involved. But today, she felt lazy and a little too confident. She’d been doing this for fifteen years now. She had earned the right for a little rest.The silence around her was thick, pressing onto her ears and she looked around, trying to spot the cause but she saw nothing. Extreme silence had never meant good.There was not a single soul roaming the street. It was only 1 in the morning but there was always someone. A drunk stumbling out of a pub or the whining of a child from an open window.West creek was devoid of life. Ilana bit the inside of her cheek, feeling the familiar rush of excitement wash through her. A fight was coming and she was so ready for it.She mentally counted through her daggers. Two in each arm band ar
Love in the Line of Fire Chapter 8
Ilana felt unreal, an entity weaved with threads of hopelessness and regret as she walked through the halls of the twentieth floor.She wasn't sure where she was going but she knew she was supposed to meet Calix Meyer. Make him aware of her presence.Her secret was out and now it was time to exploit it.And she would do it without complaints because Helene had said it was important. She had repeated the interaction in her head so many times, the words had stopped making sense. Like whatever happened wasn't real. Just like Ilana herself was not real anymore.It was important. Calix was important to the plan, the mission. He was just a means to an end. Nothing more. Helene had said it was important.Ilana didn't have to pretend when she slammed into someone. At least that had been real.“I'm sorry. I wasn't looking,” she said, keeping her eyes on the ground as she bent down to pick up the papers that had fallen loose from the folder in her hands.She didn't want Calix to see her yet. S
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