There was a heavy silence in the room when the masked man dropped the name. After a brief moment passed, the masked woman finally spoke.
"Deploy all active hitmen in the Eastern Region. Take her out. No mistakes." The call ended, and the man in the dim room sighed.
He pressed a button on his device, and a projection of another figure appeared. "Number 81, recall number 91 and deploy all active hitmen. Target: Cynthia Ross. Duration: two days." He ended the call immediately after giving the order.
The man reopened the projection of the post on the dark web again. Looking at the dead bodies, he sighed. A while later, far from his location, 19 individuals received the same kill order through a certain device.
Some were delivery workers, others were teachers in the middle of a classroom, and some were just office workers. But the moment their devices beeped, their faces turned serious. They knew what they had to do.
Meanwhile, Klaus, who was brushing his teeth, heard a familiar beep coming from his bed. He walked to the bed, picked up the device, and read the order. A smile crept onto his face before he returned to brushing his teeth.
He had taken everything from Number 91 during his interrogation. All the intel, all the contacts. He knew this would be useful, and now the kill order for Cynthia Ross was right there on his screen. He had always suspected she had a dark side, and now he knew he was right.
The Dark Order hadn't even considered Klaus' presence in Hiroshi City. They immediately assumed Cynthia was the culprit, which could only mean one thing.
She had past dealings with the Dark Order. Maybe she had killed some of their operatives, or perhaps the bounty on her was so high that she had become a prime target. Either way, the hunt was on.
Klaus wanted nothing more than to seize this opportunity to learn more about his mother-in-law. He intended to use her as bait to lure in the assassins coming after her.
Understanding the Dark Order was crucial; he needed to know his enemies. Each kill would provide him with valuable information on where to strike next and who to target. So this was like a gold mine for him.
After brushing his teeth, he headed to the kitchen for breakfast. Once he was done, he left to visit his mother-in-law at the Ross Mansion.
"Master Klaus, what brings you here today? Miss Anna is in seclusion," Henry the butler greeted him, as always.
"Oh, Henry, I'm not here to see Anna. I actually came to see her mother," Klaus replied casually.
"Shouldn't you be calling me Mother-in-Law instead?" Immediately Klaus replied Henry, a voice that he recognised so well filled the air. He turned toward the source of the voice.
And there she was—Cynthia Ross, walking toward him. Her hourglass figure, slender legs, and generous curves were captivating like always, while her long grey hair flowed behind her like a veil. She appeared both magical and dangerous. Klaus knew he shouldn't look directly into her grey eyes, yet he found it hard to look away. Despite his efforts, he felt slightly shaken.
"Revenge is part of it," she continued, her tone growing serious. "But it's more than that. I possess information—secrets that could undermine their operations. They want me silenced before I can share what I know."
Hearing this, Klaus knew he had struck gold, yet he knew he knew it would put him in danger. But he doesn't care "What kind of information?"
Cynthia's eyes narrowed again. "It's best you don't know too much, Klaus. The more you learn, the more danger you put yourself in. But know this: the Dark Order is relentless. If they're coming for me, they won't stop until they succeed."
Klaus leaned back, weighing her words. "What if I could help you? They've tried to kill me twice already, so it's only natural I hit back at them."
Cynthia raised an eyebrow, skepticism flickering in her grey eyes. "Klaus, dear, you wouldn't happen to be the one who killed those 37 people, would you?" She had seen the post on the dark web, just like most people had.
"Tomato, tomato," Klaus shrugged, an evil grin spreading across his face. "The most important thing here, Mother-in-law, is how you and I are going to work together to get back at our pursuers."
Cynthia studied him for a moment, her expression shifting. The initial surprise faded, replaced by a calculating look. "You're serious about this, aren't you?"
"Absolutely," he replied, his voice steady. "We both have something to lose. If we don't act now, we will forever have to endure knowing they could come at any point, even putting the ones we love in danger"
Cynthia leaned forward, her curiosity deepening. "And what do you propose?"
"That will depend on what secret you have about the Dark Order," Klaus replied, his expression serious.
Cynthia studied him for a while weighing her options. Finally, she let out a long sigh, her posture relaxing slightly. "Very well. I'll share what I know, but you must promise to keep it between us."
Klaus nodded, sensing the gravity of the moment. "I promise."
Cynthia took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "Years ago, I was involved with someone who had deep ties to the Dark Order. She shared some information she shouldn't have with me about their operations, their networks, and their goals. When I realized how dangerous they were, I cut ties with her, but not before learning things I shouldn't have."
"What kind of things are we talking about here?" Klaus pressed
She hesitated, glancing around as if ensuring they were truly alone. "They have a list of targets—people they consider threats. Warriors, Scientists, engineers, you name it. But that isn't all, thanks to my curious self, I managed to know about a few powerhouses funding the Dark Order.
Klaus raises an eyebrow