Lahat ng Kabanata ng LUCAN VALE: THE GHOST ASSASSIN: Kabanata 141 - Kabanata 150

All he could see was Jason’s calm, victorious smirk. All he could hear was the thud of his own knee hitting the carpet and kneeling on Jason's feet, In front of all those people. All he could feel was the burning shame of those whispers.He saw it out of the corner of his eye, a sleek, modern, stainless steel trash can, standing innocently by the elevator bank. It was a symbol of the very office, the very company, that had just watched him kneel."GGRRAAAH!” He let out a guttural groan from his chest as he ran at the trash can. He didn’t just shove it—he hauled his foot back and kicked with all his strength. If only he could kick Jason that hard; Charlie was dying to try. The heavy can went flying, smashing against the opposite marble wall with a loud, echoing CLANG. It vomited its contents, used coffee cups, crumpled memos, banana peels, in a disgusting spray across the pristine floor.The sound was shockingly loud in the otherwise quiet executive hallway.Instantly, heads popped up

“It’s not a date,” she snapped back without hesitation. But then the thought lingered, catching her off guard. Why couldn’t it be a date? Did it even matter if it was or not? He was her fiancé, after all, so there was nothing wrong with them going out on dates. She exhaled, the fight slipping from her shoulders. “Call it want you want. But i wanted to thank you, Jason.” The words came out uneven, almost stammered, like gratitude was a language she was still struggling to learn. "For what? Agreeing to eat?" "For the Sterling Enterprises deal," she replied, holding his gaze with an intensity that made something shift in his chest. "For saving Smith Royale from bankruptcy and financial difficulties. For saving my family." "It's thanks to you that I can afford a place like this again. That we can afford anything again." And then it happened. It wasn't a polite press of the lips or a calculated smirk. It was a rare, genuine smile that lit up her features and reached her eyes,

"Is something wrong?" Vanessa asked, noticing the brief change in his focus."No," Jason said, flashing her a quick, easy smile. "Just enjoying the drive."They drove for a few blocks, and the comfortable silence from lunch settled between them.Jason made a left tune turn smoothly. A few seconds later, he checked the mirror. The black SUV made the same turn.He kept driving, seemingly relaxed. He made a right turn at the next light. And after a few seconds, he looked through the rearview mirror and saw that the SUV followed them still. A small, quiet chuckle escaped him. He wasn't just being paranoid. He definitely had someone following him. Maybe they weren't just after him, could well be against Vanessa too or just her. Vanessa looked over at him, her brow furrowing. "Okay, what's wrong? You've been acting strange since we left. And now you're laughing at nothing.""Nothing," he said again, smiling at her. "Just realized I forgot something."She gave him a look, "Weirdo." But the

Jason slid into the Rolls-Royce, the leather creaking softly as he settled into the driver’s seat. He glanced at the rearview mirror, empty, for now. With a low hum, the engine purred to life, and he pulled out into the city’s afternoon pulse, the skyline glinting under a fading sun.The drive to his villa was uneventful, the usual rhythm of traffic lights and honking taxis. His mind was at work: Tristan’s pathetic tail, Charlie’s scheming, Vanessa’s hand under his at lunch. That accidental hand touch at the restaurant, her soft smile... Were all small moments, but they stuck with him like a good cup of coffee on a slow morning. Vanessa had never smiled at him before. Now she did. And that meant something.His mind drifted to the map, tucked safely in his jacket. He was a step closer to the Obsidian Dagger, and as soon as he got home he was planning to put all the pieces of the map together and see how closer he was. Was this going to be the last piece of it? Or did he have to lo

Jason hooked his foot behind The Wraith's ankle and yanked. The assassin hit the floor hard enough to crack concrete, the wire slipping from his hands.Jason pinned him, his strength overwhelming the struggling assassin. "Tell Caspian and Elvis their ghost just met his match. Next time, send someone in my league."The Wraith glared up, blood trickling from his lip. Though his wounds were already knitting themselves shut, the internal pain remained."I'll let you walk away alive," Jason said flatly. "I don't want your corpse polluting this place."He stood and kicked the garrote into a corner. With tremendous force, it embedded itself deep in the concrete wall. The assassin scrambled up with inhuman speed, his modified body already recovering. He hesitated, his accelerated processing speed calculating his odds. He had lost."Fine, you win." He turned and disappeared into the dusk.Jason leaned against the car, barely breathing hard despite the intense exertion. His boosted metabolism w