Chapter 1 NIGHTMARE

Everything was so dark, but I could make out his face as he spoke to her. "Where is Rose? If you tell me, I might spare you." She smiled and replied, "You'll spare me? Shouldn't I be the one asking where my daughter is, Mr. Stones?"

"When we married our daughter to you, we thought you would take care of her. But now, here you are, asking about the very person you swore to protect with your life," she said, her eyes mirroring the same dangerous look he was giving her.

"Anyway, why don't you sit? Let me get some tea for you. When my husband returns, you can tell him what you did to his daughter," she added with another smile that spelled nothing but danger.

I woke up, sweat drenching my skin. The nightmares were back. I hadn't had those dreams in nearly a week, and I thought I was finally overcoming them.

I decided to go about my normal morning routine, but it was too early-it was only 3 a.m. I walked to my wardrobe, changed into my sportswear, and headed down to the gym.

I worked out until six, then decided to freshen up so I could join my sister and Uncle Smiths for breakfast. We had new recruits joining the team today, and it was our job to ensure they were strong enough. Our team couldn't afford to have any weak links.

I was about to open my door when I saw my sister coming out of her room, already dressed. "Sis, you're up practicing again?" she asked, her face full of concern.

I smiled. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep, so I decided to practice a bit before we enter the battlefield. Remember, we have a lot of interviews today."

"I know, but you should save your strength for the interviews," she said as she started walking away.

"I'll be down in a few minutes. Tell Uncle Smiths I'll join you soon," I called after her.

"Okay, I will. Let me go down first-we don't want to keep him waiting," she replied before heading downstairs.

You're probably wondering why I call him Uncle Smiths. He's not my biological father. He found Lisa and me on the streets, trained us for his own purposes, and later decided to adopt us as his children. But what kind of father uses his kids for underworld jobs? Anyway, that's a story for another day.

Although he gave us the life we wanted, we never lived like other kids. We fought and fought until we were exhausted. But I'm not complaining-I need him to get to the person I want most in this world. So, it's a win-win.

I went downstairs after freshening up. "Good morning, Uncle Smiths," I greeted him.

"Morning, Bella. How was your night? I presume you had a lovely rest," he asked with a smile.

"Yes, Uncle, I did," I lied with a forced smile. Soon, breakfast was served, and we all ate in silence.

Once we finished, the servants cleared the table.

"Okay, girls, today's interviews are up to you. Make your papa proud, alright? I have a meeting to attend, so I'll see you both later. And don't forget to each pick a male partner for the upcoming job," he said, finishing his coffee.

Lisa bid him goodbye with a kiss, while I just smiled. "Have a nice day, Uncle, and don't forget to take your security detail with you."

"Sure, Bella, don't worry too much about me," he said, kissing my cheek before he left.