The Lying Game

SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO.

A bubbly house. Last-minute preparations and the familiar yearly rush.

A young girl giggled as she hurried past a pair of busy maids and made her way into her bedroom.

Shutting the door securely behind her, she packed up her curly black waves into a ponytail and headed straight for her wardrobe.

It was the sixth of June and every sixth of June marked the wedding anniversary of the Chantel Couple. Her parents.

For this year's anniversary, the six-year-old had prepared the most thoughtful present. She knelt on the floor to pull out a box that she had hidden away from the watchful eyes of her elder brother, Lucas, and the Chantel household maids.

Bang!

An unusual sound from someplace in the house made her hurry. Were they starting the fun already without her? She carried the brightly wrapped up box from the floor and gave a last-minute check to her appearance in the mirror.

For the occasion, she had worn a matching dress with Sofia Chantel, her mother. It was a green flowing dress that greatly complimented her green, jade-like eyes, a proud feature that she had inherited from her father, Davon Chantel.

"Elena!." A sudden knock on her door made her sigh. It was one of the maids. "Hurry out now, Elena!."

"I'm coming, Genevieve!." As the sound of receding footsteps got more distinct, Elena grabbed the gift box and headed for the door to join the rest of her family in the dining hall.

Her fluffy slippers didn't make a single sound as she walked and the caress of the cold evening breeze on her skin made her get goosebumps. It was clear outside with not a single staff in sight.

As Elena approached the family's large dining hall, a familiar body lying unconscious on the floor in the distance made her heart beat faster.

"Genevieve?." Elena set the box aside to kneel beside the maid. It was Genevieve alright but why was she out there passed out on the cold floor? She nudged Genevieve's shoulder to wake her up and almost screamed when the maid's body turned over.

Blood! Is she... dead?.

A voice screamed in the distance and Elena jolted from the floor with trembling hands.

Something was wrong...

"Lucas?. Mommy?. Daddy??!." Elena yelled and forced her legs to move faster.

As she approached the hall, more familiar bodies lay on the ground. Maids and servants, the butler, even her nanny!

Elena covered her mouth to stifle her scream.

Her parents!

She ran into the hall and her eyes widened in horror at the grim sight before her.

A body lay not far from where she stood, the familiar dress on the body, a matching set with hers. The little girl's eyes welled up with tears as she recognized the body of her mother.

"Elena.." A familiar hoarse voice called from a distance.

Davon Chantel dragged his body with the last strength that he had. He was losing blood fast.

His daughter's little legs moved on their own accord and she ran to him. Elena's large green eyes were filled with tears and her voice trembled as she spoke. "Father... Mo..ther..."

A tear slipped down Davon's cheek. He was barely hanging on to his life from the gunshot wound close to his heart. He grabbed his daughter's trembling hands in his. "Find your brother... Find Lucas!. I'm so..rr..y Elena. I couldn't... protect you all from him..."

Elena screamed when her Father's hands slipped off hers.

Lifeless. Gone.

"Daddy no!!!. You can't leave!!. Come back!!!.."

Elena's hands regained their strength as she shook her father's body vigorously. She needed him. Lucas needed him. How could he think of leaving them?

"Daddy!!!."

"It's futile, child. He's gone."

At the sudden words, Elena's anger reignited. She turned to the direction of the voice.

At the entrance of the dining hall, a middle-aged man leaned against the doorway with a finger-sized cigarette clenched between his fingers. Four scary-looking men flanked him on both sides.

Elena's eyes zeroed in on the man in the middle. The smoke from his cigarette was getting to her. He looked like a bad man...

"Did you kill my parents? Where's Lucas? Did you take my brother? Are you here to take me too?. I WON'T LET YOU!."

Sizing up the little girl who was barely a teenager and still very much a child, the man left his men behind and moved closer to Elena until he hovered above her.

Up close, Elena shivered. The man had a long hideous scar running down his left cheek. Although she was tempted to make a run for it. Elena's pain made her stand her ground as she stared right back at him defiantly.

"Elena Chantel." The man started. His rough hands held her jaw gently as he continued. "I have no reason to kill your parents. Your father owes me a large chunk of money and I'm only here to get it back."

Elena's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe you. If you didn't kill my parents, then who did?." The man chuckled at her words.

"I'm Lazarus Russo girl, I'm no petty man. You can trust me."

The little girl swallowed as she glimpsed at the men behind Lazarus Russo. Her parents had a lot of properties and she could sell off a few of them to give back the money they owed. But this man looked like he was capable enough to help her out.

"If I return the money my parents owed to you. Would you help me find Lucas and the people who killed my parents?." Elena proposed.

The men behind Lazarus exchanged meaningful glances amongst themselves as they looked from the child to their boss. Lazarus frowned. He had heard a lot about Davon Chantel's children, especially this girl who wasn't afraid to strike a deal with him.

Elena's green eyes remained fierce and determined and she didn't blink once as she waited impatiently for a response to her question.

"I'm not sure how you plan to pay me back, girl. Your parent's properties are only worth a tenth of their debt's percentage."

What?! Elena's confidence faltered. Her parents owed that much money to this man? "But.."

Lazarus drawled, his lips curled up as he stared at Elena's brave face. "If you want revenge, I would offer it to you on a platter of Gold. In return, I will take you under my wing until you pay back your debt."

For a second, Elena's face lifted with hope. It looked easy... but was it truly? "So what would it be, Jade eyes? Do you still want revenge or not?."

Elena turned to stare at the center of the room where her parent's bodies lay. Her eyes clouded up with tears as her father's last words to find her brother resounded in her ears.

Today was meant to be a special night. Rather, they had taken her parents away from her. It took a while to respond, but her decision remained the same.

"I want revenge."

~JADE~

You know if I ever got a second chance at life, I probably wouldn't do this. I wouldn't be in one of the finest clubs in Rotana with my feet in dumbass six aching inches stilettos and rib-cracking corsets. I wouldn't risk my twenty-three-year-old life by planting a recording chip underneath the table of one of the wealthiest men in the city while I danced to the slow beat of the music in the room.

Most of all, I wouldn't make the mistake of letting him catch a flirty glimpse at my exposed cleavage as I delivered a closing bow to my three-men audience and retrieved the chip.

Except, this wasn't a second chance at life. This is real, and I've just succeeded in attracting the most unwanted attention from my target, a spoilt third-generation heir.

"Hey Jade, It's clear over here! Tell me you've gotten that son of a bitch?!." Ruby, my best friend and aide for the night screamed through the tiny intercom secured behind my ear.

In a bad way Ruby, I wished to respond. Instead, I straightened my back and flashed a perfect smile to the men. Ignoring Ruby, I turned on my heels and started to strut out of the room.

"Wait!." A hoarse voice called from behind and I clenched my teeth. Fuck!.

My bracelet beeped to indicate that I had to evacuate just as Ruby's voice came through one more time.

"Jade!. You have ten goddamn seconds or you are on your own!. Over and out!."

"Hey, Bimbo! Turnaround!." My unresponsive state must have alerted the men behind and I knew I had to think fast.

Exactly one minute ago, the drug I had used on the real girl who was meant to entertain these men tonight had worn off and In exactly eight seconds, those exquisite doors to the private room would burst open with men armed to apprehend me...

"Is she deaf?." The same hoarse voice spoke up again and this time I heard footsteps shuffle from behind me.

The footsteps from behind and the orders from the men to stop didn't make me stop walking away. I didn't turn away from the door as I counted down with my bracelet.

At the last beep, the doors flung open. A dozen bodyguards rushed in and I broke into a run.

The bodyguards were slightly confused as I narrowly squeezed past them.

"THAT'S THE BITCH!. GET THAT WOMAN!." A shrill voice shrieked as I escaped the last bodyguard.

"Fuck!." I used the F-word for the hundredth time that night; it was the very same girl whose identity I had stolen that had torn the mask off my face.

"COME ON!."

"DON'T LET HER GET AWAY!" I flung my heels in opposite directions as I ran for dear life. By all means, breaking a leg was a more better fate than getting caught with the recording chip in my purse.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!."

I ducked as a bullet grazed my right leg, missing it's target by luck. Cheap bastards! The footsteps got clearer from behind as more gunshots followed, and I tried to inhale all the air that I could.

Ahead, my only way out was taken over as another handful of men busted in.

Breathing fast, I explored my remaining options which were only a handful. I could go head-on with the men, but they had weapons and could easily take me down. A door opened on my right and an unsuspecting waiter wheeled a trolley out. I hauled the terrified waiter aside and threw the trolley in the way. Barely escaping a fresh round of gunshots, I shut the door behind me and observed the hotel room that I had invaded.

"Who the hell are you?!."

"What the fuck are you doing in here?." Two shocked, elderly couple questioned simultaneously as they stared up from their dinner date with widened eyes.

Bang!

The door rattled from behind and all suddenly went quiet again which was suspicious to me. Fuck! The waiter... they could easily gain access to the room.

"Uhm. I'm so... sorry." I apologized as I ran to the only window in sight and pulled it open.

Second floor, eighteen feet tall.

I've done worse but it's been over a year. I checked for the chip in my purse and swallowed to see that it was still very much in place.

"Are you crazy, young lady?!."

The door rattled more ferociously this time, and just before the bodyguards found their way in, I bent over and pressed my knees tightly as I let go.

"Aargh!." The impact of the fall on my legs had me clenching my teeth from the pain. My whole body hurt and blurry voices surrounded me.

"Jade?!."

I made out Ruby's voice as I slipped into darkness.

~

"You need to wake her up right now or I will!."

"She's passed out! Can't you fucking see?."

My head pounded.

Hell. My entire body was in pain. My eyelids felt too heavy, so I just laid still. I could hear voices around me but they all sounded so distant.

"Jade?!. Jade wake up! There's trouble..."

Trouble?

My eyes instantly flew open and Ruby's unsettled face came into view. Next to her were Crystal and Pearl. They all looked so worried as they stared at me awkwardly.

I was on my bed and we were all in my bedroom. Somehow, we had made it back to the apartment where the four of us lived and functioned in one piece.

A phone started to ring in the distance and Pearl tore her gaze away from me to get it. As she left, I tried to get off the bed but Ruby was against it.

"Stay still!. You shouldn't make any stupid movements, not after that fall..!."

I frowned and sat up stubbornly, then dragged my body off the bed as I turned to Ruby.

"What's the matter? You mentioned trouble."

The girls exchanged meaningful glances and I knew that whatever this trouble was. It was serious.

"The record chip is missing, Jade," Ruby announced. Her eyes clouded with weariness and disappointment.

I frowned. Lazarus had placed me in charge of this operation. Probably because I had never lost a task and always got the job done.

The four of us only had one instruction for the night. Get in. Secure the chip. Get out and deliver it to the base. Lazarus would be livid if he found out about this!

"Where's the purse?." I asked. I was confident that the Chip was in it. "There's nothing in the purse!." Crystal snapped at me. Her brown dreaded hair flew as she did. "What? Did you swallow the chip? Would we have to put you under the knife to get it out to the Don?" She continued sarcastically.

Ruby was quick to intervene. "That's enough!."

"It's impossible." I pointed out and picked up the black purse which had been tossed aside by the girls. I flipped the purse over. No black chip.

"I made sure that it was secure in here before making that jump." Crystal scoffed. "There's no time for excuses Jade. Lazarus is mad and I bet the men are storming down here right now as we speak. You are going to fucking get us killed!."

"Uhm, girls?." A voice said and we all turned at once. It was Pearl and her phone dangled in the air.

"That was Stone. They want us over at the base right now."

~

As the familiar high walls that surrounded the Russo's Estate came into view, my hands got clammy.

I was not the only nervous one. All of us were. Ruby wouldn't stop tapping her boots on the car's floorboard. While Crystal and Pearl had their eyes glued to the windows instead.

Fear. I could sense it. It clouded over us and thickened as we drove through the gate. They had a good reason to be scared.

Lazarus Russo was a formidable man and he was our lord and master. He was not the mayor of Rotana, nor the commissioner of police, but he had the entire city under his control.

After the death of my parents and the mysterious disappearance of my brother when I was only six, Lazarus had taken me in and brought me up under his care.

Just like Ruby, Crystal, Pearl, and a thousand others whom I may never discover, we were recruited for various reasons. Recruited to be assembled and woven deep into the roots of the city, in the lowest and highest places of society, all for Lazarus Russo's cause.

For Lazarus, we trained until our gums bled. For Lazarus, we took on identities like chameleons. I stared at the girls in the back seat one more time. The four of us had always been lucky to be placed on short-term assignments. At least, we weren't forced into an early marriage like most of the other girls. Married off to be Lazarus' eyes and ears in powerful homes.

The car halted and I inhaled deeply before stepping down. Ruby's eyes searched mine for some strength and I gave her a gentle nod to calm her down.

We walked past a long row of bodyguards and soon, we arrived at the Don's large receiving hall.

Lazarus was waiting by a window frame when we walked in.

Although his back was turned to us, his walking cane tapped on the floor as we approached him; a habit I had noticed from the old man whenever he was pissed off like he was at that moment.

"Jade." He called without bothering to face us.

"Don," I responded carefully, trying to gauge his mood and know how to position my plea.

"Do you know why I had handpicked you amongst a thousand willing others and made you the leader of my most important Shadows?."

I swallowed. Lazarus Russo was a ruthless, crafty, old man. It was difficult to know the reasons why he did the things that he did.

"Because I had never lost a task?."

"Wrong." The old man snickered and finally turned to stare at me directly. His eyes were barely visible under the weight of his wrinkled skin, but his gaze still had its hold on me.

"I chose you because I made you. You may be the youngest, but you have stayed under my care for the longest. I chose you because I trusted that you were wise enough and could easily discern who to trust and not to trust..."

My heartbeat quickened and the hair on my arms rose. It was pure instinct and it did not feel good.

Those words... What does he mean?

Bang!.

"Ahh!."

The girls screamed and a body dropped behind me. I turned over in shock at the sound of the gunshot to find Crystal slip to the floor. Dead.

I reached for the gun tucked into my holster but paused when I saw the indifferent look on Lazarus's face.

Shock. Confusion. Anger.

The bullet that had killed Crystal came from behind us. An unfamiliar young man. He was clad in a custom-made wide shirt and black pants and he stood by the door with a cold expression on his face as he handed the gun over to a second man behind him and stepped forward.

My hands trembled slightly as I turned to Lazarus.

"What have you done?!."

~JADE~

I was not fond of Crystal. At least not like I was with the rest of the girls. Crystal was new and she had joined us much later so I never really bonded with her.

But she was one of my girls...

My hold on the helm of my gun tightened as I stared from Lazarus to the unwelcome visitor. From the relaxed look on Lazarus's face, it dawned on me that he knew who this visitor was. This visitor killed Crystal before our eyes..., and Lazarus had allowed it.

For what gain?

"If you needed to punish anyone for failing this mission, it should have been me. Not her!." I gritted the words out to Lazarus as I stared daggers at the two men by the door. "You put me in charge of securing the chip and I failed, that was totally unnecessary!."

Silence.

Lazarus's face remained calm and indifferent. All the words I uttered had fallen on deaf ears. Rather, he stared at the men by the door and tapped his cane impatiently on the floor. "You mean... this chip?." A smooth voice expressed and I frowned to see the stranger take further steps into the room with a little object in his hand. He flung it my way and I caught it just before it flew past me.

"You had it all along?!." Ruby muttered with astonishment and anger while Pearl maintained her distance, she was closer to Crystal than the rest of us had been and she was still slightly shaken over her sudden death.

My eyes narrowed as I stared at the chip we had been looking for and I swallowed. Things started to get a little less blurry and the clarity brought a sick feeling to my stomach. I could finally understand why Lazarus was in such a bad mood.

Crystal had betrayed us. Under my watch.

The door opened and two men swiftly carried Crystal's body away.

"Who are you?. How did you get this?." Ruby questioned and took cautious steps forward.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Jade." The stranger declared as he ignored Ruby and walked further into the room. "Though I would have preferred a better circumstance." He added on a second thought which earned a mocking laughter from the man who followed swiftly behind him.

I squeezed the chip in my hand until my palm ached. I felt foolish and I hated it. I didn't know which was worse, Crystal's betrayal or the mockery from these strangers whom I didn't even know.

"I'm sorry Lazarus. I should have known..." I said in a rushed voice but he cut me off.

"Sorry?. Why dear?." Lazarus's voice was still calm but anyone in the room could sense the storm that brewed underneath his ragged breathing.

"You had failed at not one but two tasks. You shouldn't be sorry no. You should be devastated."

My head hung low. I was the best shadow in the game, yet, I was getting trashed in front of my juniors and two narcissistic strangers who were definitely having fun as they stood next to Lazarus.

"Your minor mistake would have cost us a ton if Vince hadn't proposed to have this mission closely monitored!." The old man wasn't done talking yet.

My patience broke as anger surged through me. I didn't like the idea of being ridiculed in public. "I would have handled it just fine if you did me the courtesy of letting me in on the mole instead of sending a stranger after us!." I snapped back and Ruby rushed to backtap me to order.

I knew she was scared. Lazarus Russo had no favorites, only top players. To him, no one was indispensable. One of us was already down and she did not wish to lose me too.

The men chuckled but Lazarus did not find my words funny.

"He's no stranger, girl. Vincenzo is my son, My successor, and you will address him as such!."

My eyes widened as I stared at the man behind Lazarus. He had an arrogant smile on his face as he enjoyed the shocked look on my face.

Ruby and the rest of the people in the room were equally taken aback.

We've only heard rumors. Rumors that Lazarus Russo had a son, a dark knight who operated the wheels of the ring behind the scenes and did the more difficult jobs on the Don's behalf. But no one had actually confirmed that it was true... until now.

The man who suddenly seemed more welcomed to the room than I was stepped forward and for a second he seemed more intimidating than before as he looked me straight in the eyes.

"I'm Vincenzo Russo. Your new master and I will be assigning your final mission to you."

"Vincenzo!..." Lazarus warned from behind. "That can wait!."

I frowned. What final mission?. I was in the Russo's command for two reasons. One, to have my parent's debt to Lazarus paid back in full, and two, to pay back the people who had caused my parent's death and took my brother away from me, until they disappeared from the surface of the earth just like my family had done years ago.

I had worked under Lazarus for seventeen years and my debts to him were still a long way from being fully paid. Therefore, Vincenzo's words made no sense to me. A final mission?

"Wait?." Vincenzo scoffed at Lazarus's statement.

I broke out of my thoughts and wondered what trouble the Don's son had brought with him.

Vincenzo seemed frustrated. "No, Father. It can't wait. None of this can. The underboss has gotten too much of his shit in my business and I can no longer fucking ignore it!. I have been at the frontline of this battle for far too long and it can no longer be awarded the luxury of waiting!."

Don Lazarus frowned, his hold on his cane tightened as he stared at the people in the room.

"EVERYONE OUT NOW!" He ordered.

Vincenzo's aide left at once and I made a signal to the girls for us to hurry out as well only to be stopped by Lazarus's next words.

"Stay back Jade. I'm not done with you yet."

Fuck. I saw Ruby's troubled face and I forced a tight smile to the girls to assure them that I would be fine. But deep down, I had no idea what awaited me. I had let a mole stay and had almost lost a mission because of my carelessness. Lazarus never took it lightly with careless people. To have my head still on my head with my heart still pumping normally only made me more nervous.

What would he do with me?.

Obediently, I turned to see Lazarus and Vincenzo in a stare battle of some sort.

"You are getting too reckless. Your impatience can cost us everything that I have worked hard to build. My legacy!" Lazarus spat out.

Vincenzo shrugged and I knew he was winning. "While you had laid low here with your puppets, I have tasted how the Underboss tears down the rest of the gangs! Your legacy would be nothing but a shamble if you do not let me make a move now. You should have dealt with the Axtons when you had the chance to..."

"You have no evidence that this is the doing of an Axton." Lazarus pointed out and Vincenzo handed a paper I didn't notice he had been holding to his father.

I wondered what was in the paper because Lazarus's countenance changed and his eyes squinted.

He slammed the paper into the table and looked at me. "Do you still want that revenge, Jade?." He suddenly asked and I froze.

Revenge?.

It was all I've ever wanted and yearned for seventeen years.

I wanted revenge each time I yearned for my mother's warmth. I wanted it everytime I remembered my father's dying state and last words to me. I wanted revenge every time I wondered if my brother was alive somewhere or long dead like my parents.

A sudden thought had me waver for a second as I looked up at Lazarus. His promise to get revenge for me was only valid if I had fully paid back my debt to him... which I had not done yet.

"I do... but I still have a long way to go," I responded with an attempt to mask my disappointment.

Lazarus gave a scornful laugh as he reached for the paper on the table, he crumbled it in his palm and flung it away before tapping his cane impatiently on the floor.

"I'll give you one last chance as I step down Jade. I want you on this mission with Vicenzo. He may be hot-headed but he is very capable. If you succeed in this, I will pardon your parent's debts and let you go."

Let me go?

My heart leaped and my brows crumpled as I stared at the old man.

"Would you really clear all of my debts?." I asked with a tinge of disbelief. Lazarus Russo had never been a generous man. Would he really let me go?.

"I will have an agreement drafted up and sent to you tonight. I know that you have secretly taken fashion classes despite my instructions to focus on your training in the past."

I swallowed as guilt flooded me.

Somedays, when I wasn't on some mission or wallowing in bitterness over the memories of my loss, I hoped for a day, a day after my revenge was over and I finally had a life of my own...

"When you have completed this task, you know where to find me."

Lazarus gave Vicenzo one last meaningful glance and turned to leave. Just before he reached the door, he stopped.

"What is the punishment for failure, Jade?."

"Death." I forced the bitter words out.

"Try not to fail this time." I winced at the threat as Lazarus's slightly bent back retreated from the room, leaving me all alone with Vincenzo.

Vincenzo observed me for a while, then he turned around to settle into his father's large leather chair.

The door opened and his aide returned with a file which he handed over to Vincenzo and retreated to a side.

"Are you familiar with the Axton name?." Vincenzo suddenly asked and he lit up a cigarette.

"Axton?" I repeated.

The name rang a bell but I couldn't recall where I had heard it from. Judging from the tone in which the father and son had mentioned them, I guess they must be some important people, which was strange because I knew almost everyone who had a speck of importance to themselves in the country.

"I'm afraid not," I responded.

Vincenzo slid the file on the desk in my direction and I moved closer to retrieve it. I was still wary of Vincenzo. He seemed reckless and I still despised his egocentric attitude, but when he wasn't busy being narcissistic, he seemed less intolerable.

He took a long drag from his cigarette and I opened up the file.

"They are a century-old Mafia family who have suddenly cut all connections with our part of the world and gone off the radar. Our sources inform me that they are somehow related to the underboss. I assume you've heard of him?."

"I suppose so." I responded with a frown. I have heard stories about The Underboss. He was a legend who was more of a Mafia Hunter so the gangs hated him for interfering with their business.

"Perfect. He has gotten his silly claws on our partners and he will destroy us soon if we don't clip him in the bud. Your mission is to infiltrate that home and get us a reliable telescope to fish him out.

My brows creased and my hold on the file tightened. "Finding the Underboss is an impossible task." I argued. The underboss was hard to deal with because he attacked ruthlessly and covered his tracks perfectly. Even worse was the fact that he had no face or a name that could lead to him. He could be anyone.

Vincenzo lifted his chin. "No free meal comes easy Jade. The Axton walls are ridiculously high, but a crack came in last night. Get ready to make a move tomorrow."

"What?!. That fast?. I need some time to prepare. I need to create a cover, make further research. You said it yourself, the Axtons have gone off the radar, I need to be prepared for any surprises..."

"You don't need a cover, Jade. You would be their new nanny."

My head blanked and the file slipped off my hands, dropping to the floor with a loud bang.

"No way!."