Rising nine stories above the city, the Laurel Club reserved its top floor exclusively for Kellan Wright, the leader of Horizon Group, who treated it as both his personal office and private retreat and rarely bothered returning to his villa.

Among the upper circles of Wruosas, the Laurel Club was spoken of with open envy, yet its doors never welcomed outsiders.

Outside her assigned room, Avery swiped her key card again and again, and each attempt was answered with an irritating beep. She clicked her tongue, lifted her gaze toward the surveillance camera above, and let a faint smile curve her lips.

Without waiting another second, she drove her foot into the door, striking it repeatedly until the frame warped and the lock finally gave way with a dull snap.

The card was flicked aside as she muttered, "What a pain."

She shrugged out of her black leather jacket, loosened the collar at her throat, and slipped off her shoes before crossing the room barefoot toward the bed. Beyond the glass, mist clung to the night sky, and scattered stars glimmered faintly through the haze.

Her eyes landed on the ornate pack of cigarettes resting on the table, and she drew one out before taking a long sniff as her thoughts drifted backward in time.

Two years ago, she had spoken her vow with unwavering resolve. "To fight crime and defend the lawful rights of citizens, I will bury my identity and walk among the enemy. No matter the cost, I will uphold justice and the law."

Time had passed faster than she ever expected, and two years vanished like a breath.

A sharp click at the door shattered her reflection. Her hand moved beneath the pillow on instinct, but it found nothing there, and she froze for several seconds as tension crept into her spine.

For a split second, Avery forgot where she was, mistaking the space for her quiet villa on the outskirts instead of a high end suite inside Laurel Club.

Reality snapped back just as fast. The door was already compromised, and anyone could enter without obstacles.

She shot to her feet, muscles coiled tight, every nerve alert like a predator sensing danger.

In the darkness, a man walked in, his face remaining unrecognizable. Heavy footsteps crossed the wooden floor with purpose, each step slow, controlled, and deliberate.

Positioned in the corner, Avery held her breath and waited. The instant he moved close enough, she surged forward and clamped a hand around his throat, but the advantage vanished in a blink as he countered with brutal speed.

Air was cut off as his grip closed around her neck, and heat rushed to her face while she clawed at his fingers in panic. Strength drained from her limbs no matter how hard she struggled, and she could not force him to loosen his hold.

Her sight began to smear and blur, shapes dissolving into haze as if her thoughts were being torn apart by a violent gust.

Even so, surrender never crossed her mind. She still had a mission to finish.

Pain exploded through her senses as she bit down on her finger, and the sharp jolt dragged her awareness back from the edge.

Without thinking, she slipped off her cufflinks and swung her free hand upward, driving the sharpened edge toward his chest.

He twisted aside at the last moment and released her throat, and Avery collapsed onto the floor, sucking in air before throwing herself forward again.

Light flooded the room all at once, and a wave of black suited bodyguards rushed in through the doorway, filling the space in seconds.

"Enough. Back off!" the leader shouted to Avery.

Avery halted in place and swept her gaze across the figures in front of her, measuring every movement with guarded focus.

Standing closest was a man wrapped in a black silk robe that hung loosely from his frame, the fabric barely secured at his waist and exposing pale skin that stood in stark contrast to Avery's sun darkened tone.

Authority clung to him without effort. His eyes cut sharp and intent like a predator locking onto prey, and his tall frame filled the room with a pressure that was impossible to ignore.

Lifting her chin, Avery met his stare head on and asked evenly, "Who are you?"

Silence answered her at first, and his expression remained distant, stripped of any warmth.

Outrage erupted from the leader as he barked, "Watch your tone. Our boss owes you no explanation. Get on your knees!"

Avery spat blood onto the floor, chuckling coldly. "Who do you think you are, breaking into my room and demanding I surrender?" Then she turned to Kellan, the man in the robe. "Handsome, you are really enjoying the power trip, aren't you?"

Kellan was wondering about the faint, unfamiliar scent he had smelled as he grabbed Avery's neck. The sensation had frozen him in place for a heartbeat. He had believed for years that his senses had dulled beyond recovery.

Hearing such a bold, careless tone come from the attacker standing before him only deepened his irritation.

He dropped the disinfectant wipe from his hand and spoke in a calm, icy voice. "You do not need my name. All you need to understand is that provoking me is a mistake you will regret."

The nerve of this man was almost impressive. A crooked smile tugged at Avery's mouth as a dangerous glint surfaced in her eyes, and her fingers closed more firmly around the cufflink in her hand.

What looked like an ordinary accessory was actually a custom folding blade, built to disable quickly rather than kill.

The slight shift did not escape Kellan's notice. His gaze sharpened, and one brow lifted with mild interest as he said, "Still not surrendering?"

A short laugh slipped from Avery as she tilted her head. "You wish!"

Her expression hardened without warning. In the same breath, her wrist snapped forward, and the blade shot from her hand toward Kellan's throat, fast enough to draw startled gasps from everyone in the room.

But he just stepped aside with lazy precision, letting the weapon skim past his hair before it struck the wall behind him and dropped to the floor with a metallic ring.

Before Avery could fully register what happened, Kellan was already at her back, and the cold press of a compact gun settled against her head.

Even with the barrel kissing her hair, she turned her head slightly and looked at him with open disdain. A short scoff followed, saying, "I already told you this is my room. Showing up uninvited this late. What, are you throwing yourself at me?"

"You bastard!" A curse burst from Clayton Jenkins, the bodyguard leader, as he stepped forward, his face twisted with fury while his shaking finger jabbed toward Avery.

To him, the attacker's attitude was beyond arrogant. He had never imagined anyone daring to provoke Kellan this openly, and in his mind, a quick death would be far too merciful for the attacker.

Irritation darkened Kellan's expression. This damn man had crossed him twice in one night, and he had no intention of letting that go unanswered.

Right as he was weighing his next move, his body jolted, and surprise flickered through his eyes when an icy sensation pressed against his waist.

Lowering his gaze, he spotted a short dagger, compact yet wickedly sharp, its tip resting precisely against where his spleen lay beneath.

Avery looked at him with careless calm, but the fury burning in her eyes was unmistakable as she exclaimed, "Get out!"

A faint crease formed between Kellan's brows before his hand snapped up. His grip closed around Avery's throat with frightening ease, and his fingers bit into her skin like steel clamps.

Pain felt in her head as if her neck were about to shatter, and blood seeped past his grasp, staining her white collar a deep red.

Shock replaced her earlier mockery, and her eyes widened as the weight of the situation sank in.

She had dominated the taekwondo world for five straight years without a single loss, yet the man in front of her was nothing like the opponents she had crushed before.

Locked in that suffocating moment, Avery's focus sharpened, and she shifted tactics again and again, searching desperately for an opening.

Every attempt failed. No matter how she moved, Kellan stayed ahead of her, dismantling each effort with effortless precision.

Panic crept in as Avery continued to struggle, and the truth became impossible to ignore. No matter how hard she pushed, Kellan did not move an inch.

Drawing in a sharp breath, she gathered what strength she had left and slashed at him with everything she had.

Her effort came to nothing. Kellan read the attack before it fully formed and slipped past it with ease. Retaliation followed immediately.

The world spun as a crushing force struck her, and her body was hurled across the room like a discarded object. She slammed into the floor with a heavy crash, pain exploding through her frame as though her bones were on the verge of breaking apart.

"Mr. Wright, this is on me. I failed to keep your rest from being disturbed." Clayton rushed forward once it was clear the fight was over, his voice shaking as he spoke. He extended a steaming towel with both hands.

"Take him!" Clayton yelled, motioning sharply for his men to move in on Avery.

Kellan accepted the towel, wiped his hands with slow precision, and spoke in a flat tone. "Just leave."

Without hesitation, the bodyguards filed out of the room. After finishing, Kellan cast a brief glance toward Avery sprawled on the floor, then turned away and walked off without sparing her another look.

Silence settled heavily once the door closed.

Gritting her teeth, Avery forced herself upright and stared toward the path he had taken. Her fingers brushed the cut at the corner of her mouth, and a cold, lethal spark flickered in her eyes.

Her attention shifted to the wound on her palm, and she clenched her hand, letting the pain sink in as a reminder she refused to forget.

For the first time in her life, she had tasted defeat. She swore that this humiliation would be repaid one day.

With that vow burning in her chest, she spun around and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

Steam filled the bathroom as Avery turned on the shower, and she drew in a slow breath when warm water spilled over her shoulders, the heat biting faintly at the wounds on her neck.

Her eyelids lowered while the spray traced her face and soaked through her clothes, droplets running down her cheeks and chest.

Fabric soon clung to her body, darkened by water and outlining her slender frame beneath it.

Remaining beneath the stream, she calmly shed her clothes one piece at a time, and her fingers finally found the concealed skin patch pressed against her chest.

Once it was removed, her true form was revealed.

After rinsing off quickly, she reached for a white bathrobe and wrapped it around herself.

In front of the mirror, Avery studied her reflection in silence. The wound along her neck had nearly sealed, yet a complicated mix of thoughts flickered in her eyes.

That man was Kellan Wright, the leader of Horizon Group, the largest and most enigmatic force in Wruosas's underworld.

Stories painted him as both feared and revered across every circle, and there were even whispers claiming he had no interest in women at all.

Three years ago, after returning to the country, he had driven Wright Pharma to the top of Wruosas's business world and into the position of the third largest pharmaceutical company globally. As its youngest CEO, he avoided every interview, and not a single clear photograph of him had ever surfaced.

Her fingers brushed the dried blood at her neck, and her understanding of him shifted. What happened tonight was only the opening move.

The sharp ring of her phone cut through her thoughts.

Bare feet touched the floor as she left the bathroom and crossed to the bed, picking up her phone and noticing a new message waiting.

With practiced ease, she unlocked it, and a short command flashed on the screen. "Get close to Kellan. ASAP!"

She erased the message the instant she finished reading it.

...

High above, on the ninth floor, soft lighting filled a lavish room where Kellan lounged against a white leather sofa in gray silk sleepwear, one leg resting over the other. His eyes were calm yet unfathomable as he asked, "Did you figure out who that person is?"

Clayton answered with a silent nod.

Moments later, hurried footsteps echoed as a subordinate rushed inside and passed a tablet to Clayton, who spoke without lifting his head.

"Mr. Wright, everything has been confirmed. Avery Brown, twenty five years old, a taekwondo world champion with the highest black belt certification. Six months ago, he entered Horizon Group through the security division. In just three months, he climbed from the lowest rank to captain of the third team. Tonight, he eliminated Conor alone."

Clayton swallowed before continuing, "Per your standing order, the one who took down Conor was supposed to receive a month in the Laurel Club luxury suite. However, someone mistakenly issued him the key to the room directly beneath yours. This mistake is mine. I accept whatever punishment you decide."

He lowered his head completely, not daring to meet Kellan's gaze.

No response came at once. Kellan slowly rolled the amber liquid in his glass, then took a measured sip of Islay whiskey. Through the crystal, his eyes looked deep and unreadable, like dark water hiding violent currents below the surface.

Sleep had always come lightly to him, and even the smallest disruption was enough to ruin it.

Tonight, someone had made the foolish decision to place Avery directly beneath his quarters, shattering what little rest he allowed himself.

Standing there, Clayton could not help but think the outcome was already decided. Avery was finished.

No one ever managed to predict Kellan's moods, and the way he handled problems was ruthless enough to keep even seasoned men on edge.

Back when he first returned to seize control of Wright Pharma, he had dismantled half of the senior leadership in just three days, acting fast and without hesitation. The fallout was immediate. Complaints spread behind closed doors, resentment festered, and enemies multiplied, all waiting for a chance to drag him down.

Tension thickened the air inside the room. Clayton stood rigid and silent, praying he would not become the next outlet for his boss's anger.

After a long pause, Kellan finally lifted his gaze, his eyes colder than steel. "That Avery. He caught my attention. Do you think he was planted by that person?"

The pressure rolling off Kellan made Clayton's shoulders stiffen. The name left unspoken needed no explanation. Everyone in their world knew exactly who Kellan meant.

Clayton drew in a careful breath before answering. "I do not think so. From what I can tell, Avery was likely not sent by him."

The words barely left his mouth before he swallowed hard, bracing himself under Kellan's scrutiny.

"Then why has there been no report about this?" Kellan asked, his tone sharp enough to slice through the room.

Cold crept up Clayton's spine as he answered quickly. "I will look into it immediately. I will find out how Avery ended up with that key card."

Without waiting for permission, he turned and left the room at once.

...

Morning light crept through the curtains when Avery finally stirred, warmth brushing against her face. She lifted an arm to block the brightness and frowned, confusion settling in as she muttered, "Where am I?"

Startled, Avery turned her head and spotted a wooden plaque resting on the table, the engraved words unmistakable. Laurel Club.

Everything from the night before rushed back at once. This was Kellan's private domain, a place she had heard whispered about ever since joining Horizon Group. Exhaustion from the confrontation had drained her so thoroughly that she had passed out without even realizing it.

She shoved the blanket aside, swung her legs over the bed, and rolled her stiff neck, irritation rising as Kellan's face surfaced in her mind.

The man had barged into her room and even beaten her. The more she thought about it, the more absurd it felt.

Her eyes drifted around the suite. Along one wall stood a row of refined wardrobes, their surfaces polished smooth and releasing a faint, clean scent into the air.

The same rare wood used for the main door had been spared no expense here either.

Gold edged paintings lined the walls, each one depicting indulgent scenes of naked men and women sprawled in excess.

Disgust curled her lip as she muttered, "Meaningless decor."

After washing up quickly, she faced the mirror and carefully applied a specially made chest skin patch, blending it seamlessly with her own skin before pulling on her clothes and heading out without delay.

Staying here felt dangerous. Her instincts warned her not to linger.

Down in the club's parking area, Avery stayed alert, her gaze sweeping for her car until a sudden sound behind her made her tense. She moved too fast and collided straight into someone's chest.

She pulled back at once and lifted her head, her breath catching when a sharp, handsome face came into view. It was Kellan.

Did he have a habit of showing up without warning, always at the worst possible moment?

Their eyes met, and a brief flash of surprise crossed Kellan's face before it vanished behind a mask of cool restraint, leaving nothing readable behind his gaze.

Recognition followed just as quickly. The person standing in front of him was Avery, the same one who had traded blows with him the night before.

Avery's hand curled into a fist as the memory surfaced, every ache in her body reminding her of how that encounter had ended.

A crooked smile lifted her lips as she spoke in a teasing drawl. "Well, this is a surprise. Did you wake up early just hoping to run into me?"

She leaned in slightly, close enough to brush Kellan's chest, her tone careless and bold while her eyes traveled over him like he was something to be appraised rather than feared.

Her body still throbbed from the beating he had given her, and she knew better than to challenge him head on again. If she could not win with strength, then she would tease him instead.

The effect was immediate. Kellan's expression cooled, sharp and unforgiving. Disrespect was something he never allowed, especially not when others could see it.

To mock him again so openly meant this person had learned nothing from the night before.

The shift in his presence set off alarms in Avery's mind, and unease crept in where confidence had been moments earlier. She straightened at once, her fingers tightening as instinct urged her to put distance between herself and the danger standing in front of her.