"I'm sorry! I'm in a hurry!"
The woman who entered the elevator quickly apologized to me. I watched her as she gathered her things.
"Sir?" she prompted, noticing I was looking at her.
It seemed she realized I was observing her. Her name tag indicated she was a new employee.
"That picture... Is it from a new company?" I asked, nodding toward her badge.
"That's from GoldenFlight Airlines. Haven't you heard of it?" she replied curiously.
"No," I answered simply.
She whispered, "Ah," and looked away.
I stayed silent after that, watching as we both headed to the same floor.
Ding.
The elevator doors opened. Without looking at her, I stepped out and headed toward the agency chief's office.
As I reached the door, I noticed she was following me.
I turned and asked, "Are you here for the chief?"
"Sir? The CSO?" she responded, surprised.
"Who else?" I frowned and pushed the door open.
She seemed confused by everything, but I didn't have the time to explain.
"Roy! I've been looking for you!" The chief, a man in his 50s, stood up and approached me. He still maintained an impressive physique, like a veteran soldier, despite balding and hating it.
"Lara, you're here too? Good timing!" he chuckled when he saw her.
"Good afternoon, Sir," she greeted, approaching him and handing over a folder filled with files.
"Here are the documents you need, Sir. I compiled and organized them," Lara said confidently.
"Great, thank you," the chief said, flipping through the files happily. Then he looked at us and asked with a smile, "Do you two know each other already?"
"No," I replied with a light shake of my head.
"We just met in the elevator, Sir," Lara added.
She seemed to think aloud, "He didn't even help me when I dropped my files," but she was unaware she was saying it out loud. I frowned and looked at her, but she avoided my gaze and looked at the chief instead.
"Well, Lara, this is Roy. He's part of Bert's team," the chief explained.
"Roy, this is Lara. She's our new Admin Team Lead," he continued.
I nodded. "I see."
"Wow! You really are Roy?" Lara asked, eyes wide with curiosity.
"I'm sorry, I mean… Wow. You're a legend," she added, genuinely impressed.
Our team was somewhat famous in the agency because we took on missions beyond just protection or guiding clients. We were seen as the odd team out.
The chief chuckled. "The one and only! Our main guy!"
He continued, "Having both of you here will save me some time. Lara will assist you with your mission, Roy."
"Sir?" Lara looked confused.
"Yes, our client is the owner of GoldenFlight Airlines. You mentioned we recently secured a deal with them, right?"
"Ah, yes, Sir. That's correct," Lara confirmed.
She added, "So, she's our client. I wasn't aware of that."
"Bert has the file. Has he reported on it yet?" the chief asked.
I didn't answer. I hadn't asked Bert either. Honestly, I wasn't planning to take this job—lately, my mind was preoccupied, and I wanted to continue my vacation. But Bert insisted we needed the money, and without me, the mission might be canceled or postponed.
"It seems you didn't even ask Bert," the chief sighed, looking at me. "Lara, work with their team. Roy's mood can be unpredictable, so mostly work with Bert."
"Chief," I started to explain but decided not to push it.
Lara nodded in agreement, and we left the office to find Bert.
While walking, I pulled out my phone and called Ed.
Ed, the last member of our team, is our safety expert—our marksman and sniper. He secures the area during missions, working alongside Elle on scouting and reconnaissance. I trust him to have my back.
"Ed," I greeted when he answered.
"I've secured the area where we'll pick up the protectee," he said.
"Already?" I asked, surprised. Ed was always diligent.
"Yes," he confirmed.
"Okay," I responded and ended the call.
As I walked, I noticed Lara watching me. I asked, "What?"
"Nothing," she replied, avoiding eye contact.
I couldn't help but smile.
"I can't believe I'm actually meeting you now. I knew I'd see you here eventually," she said
She continued. "Your mission three years ago, when you rescued and escorted the British delegates sent by the UN in Mali, is still a hot topic."
That mission was my first rescue operation as part of this agency. It also marked the start of our team taking on missions beyond protection and private security.
"Your team is different from others in the agency," Lara said proudly. "They say your team was even sent to a war zone once and fought hard to get out. Is that true?"
That damn mission, I thought. It was one of the most dangerous in my career. It caused a teammate to lose his leg and forced him into retirement.
"Yes," I replied. "I hope I don't get a mission like that again."
She looked at me, her gaze softening as she sensed I was reminded of something painful, something that still haunted me quietly beneath the surface.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up," she said gently.
"No need," I said, shaking my head. "Just ask Bert about that mission if you want details. I've got another appointment to attend."
"Oh, I see," she said, understanding. "So, his mood really does change that fast, like the CSO said."
She thought I hadn't heard her, but I looked at her with a smirk. She was surprised I caught that. I simply smiled and walked away.
I decided to go home early and rest to prepare for the upcoming mission. Bert and Mr. Medici said it would be an easy job, but I knew better than to underestimate it. I needed to be ready for anything.
Buzz.
Vzzzt.
While packing my gear—suite, weapons, body vest—my phone vibrated.
I answered. "Hey."
" The protectee—the VIP—is here," Ed said.
"What?" I was surprised.
"I know," Ed replied. "She said it's not our fault. She has nothing to do with the delay and went ahead of schedule."
"Okay, I'm coming," I said, grabbing my car key.
I was driving when I received another call—this time a video call from Ards and Bert.
"Oh," I muttered, speeding up.
Bert sounded anxious. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"Elle is also on her way," Ards added.
"The chief?" I asked.
"We informed him, and he's on a call with the client now," Ards replied.
"Okay." I was about to end the call when Bert stopped me.
"Wait! One more thing," he said hurriedly.
"What is it?"
"Can you fix your phone etiquette? Is it that hard?" Bert asked sharply.
"I'll hang up if you don't have any questions left," I replied.
"Wait. Rosaria."
I slammed the brakes and stopped the car.
"Rosaria. She's the client. Remember her? That wealthy old woman from France."
"I know," I said softly.
She's coming! I thought, surprised again.
Rosaria Vivienne De Rohan—the aunt of Callista Adeline De Rohan. A woman I will never forget.
Live your life.
Be the purpose yourself.
Wait for me...
She's here. She's going to be here soon.
Bert waved his hand. "Hello, Roy?"
I looked at him and ended the video call.