Chapter 2 You Win

It was an assassination mission. Hayley wore a strapless fishtail evening dress, which complemented her incredible womanly curves. Her fair skin was blushed the tiniest bit under the light. She came to attend a banquet hosted by an important leader in Y City. Her task was to assassinate the president of an electronic software company before the banquet ended.

It was not the first time for Hayley to attend such an event. Her work required her to frequent these kinds of extravagant gatherings. Aside from being well trained by Neil, she had a beautiful and delicate face, which easily masked her identity as an assassin. Her fair skin and bright eyes were elevated by how she conducted herself as she had an air of elegance about her and a notable noble temperament. With a smile on her face, Hayley walked into the hall. She was beautiful, but the coldness that surrounded her made people think twice about approaching her. Men had always thought of Hayley as the kind of woman who could only be observed from a distance and should not be played with.

The venue was held in a private villa. People who lived in this villa district were usually either rich or powerful. The venue was resplendent and magnificent. The lighting was gorgeous, but it made people not used to such events dizzy. From time to time, laughter would boom from groups of socialites trying to have fun. In the hall, the chandelier was burned bright with yellow light. In the front of the hall hung an oil painting that depicted the owner of the villa.

It was Hayley's first time in Y City. It didn't show, though. She was graceful when mingled with people. Like a princess of high nobility, she was gentle and dignified. Most of the people who attended this party were successful in the business field or in the political field. No one irrelevant would be able to gatecrash the event as people were strictly asked for their invitations before entering.

Mac came to the party very early. He had short flaxen hair, fairer skin than most women, and dark eyes that twinkled like precious gems. Most notable about him was that he had a noble and arrogant aura. His lips were luscious, and his eyes were tantalizing. He was clinking glasses with the people around him from time to time. His grey suit looked stunning on him, something a man of normal looks would not be able to pull off. With his looks, clothes, and attitude all coming together, Mac looked like a prince waiting for his princess to turn up. It wasn't anything new for him, however, as he was the most eligible bachelor in Y City. Numerous women wanted to marry him. When Hayley entered the hall, Mac was talking to the patriarch of the Nangong family.

Hayley knew that Mac's eyes had been fixed on her ever since she entered the hall, but she didn't want to pay attention to it. Why? Well, she was here for a mission. She still had something important to do. She talked and laughed with some people as she looked for her target. When Hayley saw Mac, she knew that they were the same kind. After multiple parties, she knew how hollow and lifeless rich people were.

Perhaps Mac also thought the same about her, so much so that he started becoming a hindrance to the successful completion of what she needed to do. It took Hayley a lot of effort to get rid of Mac. But the moment she was left with the president of the electronic software company, she effortlessly took his life. The news of the dead millionaire at the event didn't spread as fast as Hayley thought it would. After all, most of the people who went to the party were public figures, and so no matter who did it, it would cause an unnecessary uproar. Hayley left early, so she didn't know how the elite reacted to the unprecedented death of the president.

However, what happened after that was beyond what Hayley expected. Mac found her place. What was more ridiculous was that he held her hand and asked, "Can I woo you?"

For the first time in her life, Hayley was intrigued by a person. Mac seemed like someone who would always surprise her. During that time, Hayley was in Y City for a series of missions. Mac always took her out every time she finished one mission. And weirdly enough, he never asked where Hayley had gone. He never asked why she was hurt every time she came back or what she had done. Hayley would quietly watch Mac bandage her wounds and take care of her.

It made her feel special. There was no way for her to know at that time that his care for her was fake.

"Why did you lie to me?" asked Hayley in a hoarse voice. For the first time in her life, she realized that she didn't know Mac at all. From the day they met, Mac had planned everything, and was waiting for her to step into his trap. As a person who didn't really grow up with people, Hayley would often misjudge others.

"Why?" Mac sneered. "Hayley, don't you think it's a little sentimental to ask what my reason is now?"

He walked slowly towards her, not caring about the gun at all. He approached her slowly, one step at a time, and raised his hand to touch her long black hair as he usual did. Mac smiled gently and said in a charming voice, "You should ask your adoptive father why he sent you to Y City. Or why he sent you to me."

Surprised, Hayley took a few steps back and leaned against the window. She closed her eyes and smiled coldly. It turned out that they had planned everything since the day she arrived at Y City. She was a killer. She shouldn't have expected any so-called love. Because of her feelings, she became a tool for people to deal with one other. 'A mere tool, ridiculous,' she thought.

"So you knew who I am from the very beginning and that I was here to kill you?" It was such an amateur move on her part, trusting another person with all her heart. She didn't become wary of him. She lowered her defenses.

"Do you think it would mean anything if I tell you anything right now?" Mac frowned. He had never seen Hayley like this. In his mind, no matter how tired she was, she wouldn't be like this.

Today, when Hayley went out, he knew that she was going to kill him. He had already sent out a notice to people in the castle to be vigilant and wait for her. However, he didn't expect that things would go so smoothly. From the moment Hayley stepped into the castle, he had planned every step of her way and forced her into the study on the third floor. This castle was built on the edge of the cliff, and outside the window of this room was the sea. Now, Mac's people were all guarding the room. No matter how skilled Hayley was, she wouldn't be able to escape. But what Mac didn't expect was the sadness in Hayley eyes when they met again.

"Mac, you've really put an effort into lying to me!"

Hayley knew that she should have known this ever since the day Neil picked her up from the ruins. She was nothing. Everything she had was given to her by her adoptive father. She worked for him and helped him kill all his enemies. Hayley was their best killer because she could calmly face any situation. Because of that, Neil liked her very much. Freedom and love were never something she was taught to expect. For her, living was just existing in the world. But she met Mac, and she began to yearn his love and warmth.

There was a cold and murderous smile on her face. It looked jarring, as her eyes didn't have emotions in them. Her pale face reflected the moonlight in a way that made her look like a fallen princess. Mac suddenly understood why people considered Hayley as ice cold. Her expression was the epitome of that-ice cold. But he also saw sadness on her face, which was not what he wanted. Everything went well as he planned. He succeeded, but he was not happy at all.

Bullets were loaded.

Hayley took up the gun and shot at the glass on the window several times in a row. As glass shattered, she shot a few times behind Mac. Those who followed and protected Mac fell down with as she started her attack.

"Hayley, you better stop struggling. If you surrender, you'll die a painless death!" Mac glanced at his dead subordinates and coldly looked at the somewhat embarrassed Hayley in front of him. An indescribable feeling washed over him.

"Mac..." Hayley called out his name in a choked voice. She threw the gun in her hand on the floor. Her smile was full of piercing pain. "You win."

Mac had never thought that this powerful woman would make such a choice. He had to admit that Hayley was a very skilled and powerful assassin. With two short guns, she almost killed half of his men. None of the people he brought was a match for her. In fact, Hayley was sure to win. The moment Hayley dropped her gun, she jumped through the window behind her. Mac was caught by surprise. He dashed towards the window, just in time to see Hayley's falling figure.

Outside the window was the surging waves. Hayley closed her eyes and thought, 'Mac was the one who reminded me I have a heart. Why not give it back to him?'

Mac's face turned pale when he saw Hayley falling. The man next to Mac also felt his shock. He walked up to him and asked, "Sir, what should we do now?"

"Go and find her, dead or alive!" Mac clutched the window sill tightly and growled at his subordinates behind him. His whole body was trembling in anger.

"Yes, sir!" The subordinates scurried out of the room and went to the sea to look for Hayley.

"Hayley, I won't let you die so easily." After all people left the room, Mac lit a cigarette and leaned against the window to smoke, staring at the dark cliff outside.