Callista's POV
Aurelius Valemont, the ever-charming, cocky, flirtatious thorn in my side—was carrying only a dagger. That was it. No gun, no tech gear, not even a backup blade. Just… a single dagger.
"Hey," I said, narrowing my eyes at him as we made our way through the dim underground corridor. "Where's the rest of your weapons?"
He glanced at me with that infuriating half-smile of his and shrugged. Shrugged.
I blinked. "Seriously?"
"I don't need more," he said, annoyingly casual. "One's enough for me."
"One?" I scoffed. "We're infiltrating a criminal organization's base that traffics kids, and all you brought was a butter knife?"
"It's a dagger," he corrected with a grin, twirling it between his fingers. "And it's very sharp."
I stopped in my tracks and stared at him. "Tell me why."
He raised a brow. "Why what?"
I stepped closer. "Why just the dagger, Valemont?"
Still with that stupid smirk on his lips, he leaned lazily against the wall. "Because I look good with it."
That was it. That was the last straw.
I slammed my hand against the wall beside his head, pinning him in place. "Start talking," I growled, inches from his face. "Or I swear, I'll break your pretty little nose and we'll see how charming you are after."
I expected him to laugh. Or smirk. Or even roll his eyes.
But no. Aurelius Valemont turned red.
His ears, his cheeks—flushed like someone had poured hot water on him. His eyes widened slightly, caught between panic and… something else?
"W-what are you—" he stammered.
Stammered.
This man who flirted like breathing and acted like he owned every room he entered… was now frozen and blushing like I just proposed to him in front of his grandma.
I leaned in closer, pretending to threaten him more, but really just trying to figure him out. "You hiding something else, huh? What are you not telling me?"
His breath hitched. His hands were suddenly glued to his sides. And oh my god, he was still getting redder.
What the heck is wrong with this man?
Then I heard the faintest cough behind me.
We both turned our heads just enough to see Mia, one of our stealth hackers, standing a few steps away with her tablet and a totally unimpressed look on her face.
She smirked. "Get a room, couple. We're still on the mission."
I blinked. "Wha—?! I'm interrogating him."
"Sure," Mia said, raising a brow. "Looked more like foreplay to me."
I stepped back immediately, glaring at Aurelius, who still looked dazed and suspiciously satisfied.
"Focus," I barked at everyone.
But even as I turned away, my ears were burning.
Why the hell did his blush make me blush too?
And why was everyone now walking with knowing smirks?
This mission just got so much more complicated.
I forced myself to calm down, ignoring the furious pounding of my heart. Crossing my arms, I stared him down coldly.
"How are you going to prove to me," I challenged, voice sharp, "that you're capable of handling this situation? Especially against those buff protein men over there?"
I pointed toward the guards patrolling the entrance of the enemy's base—broad-shouldered, steel-eyed, and towering like literal brick walls. They looked like they ate nails for breakfast.
Not that it fazed me. I've seen monsters in human skin way worse than them.
Aurelius only grinned wider, like my challenge amused him.
And then—he moved.
In the next breath, before I could react, he leaned in dangerously close, so close his breath tickled my skin. And then—
He licked my neck.
I froze.
What the actual—?!
The boldness. The audacity. The nerve.
He was still there, smirking against my skin, when he whispered in a low, cocky voice that made goosebumps race down my arms:
"Watch me."
I hiccupped. Literally hiccupped.
How the hell did he turn into such a walking, talking disaster?
The worst part?
His breath was hot against my neck.
Way too hot.
For a split second, my brain blue-screened.
He finally pulled back, chuckling darkly as if he'd just declared war and knew he was winning.
Meanwhile, I was left there, blinking stupidly and mentally screaming into the void.
Then suddenly—he disappeared.
"What the—?" I blinked. He was just in front of me a second ago.
Where the hell did he go?
My eyes darted around, scanning the field, but before I could even shout, I spotted movement ahead.
There. Right in front of the guards.
He just reappeared—calmly, like he'd been standing there the whole time.
One of the men, clearly underestimating him, stepped forward with a mocking grin. "Oho? What's a pipsqueak doing here? You lost or something, kid?"
His voice was all muscle and arrogance. But what really caught my eye… was the tattoo on his wrist.
That symbol.
The same one from the criminal organization.
My jaw clenched.
Aurelius tilted his head, dagger dangling lazily in his right hand. "What if I am lost?" he replied, voice cocky and infuriating.
I swear, my entire team stiffened behind me. Even they looked confused—some already preparing to rush in. He was definitely messing up the plan, and yet…
The next second—he vanished again.
A blur. A flicker of motion. A whisper of death.
Then—
SHHK! A wet, slicing sound.
One of the guards choked mid-laugh, then went completely still. His head…
split clean from his body.
It dropped with a thud to the floor, followed by a slow river of blood.
Everyone froze.
I stared, stunned. Eyes wide.
What. The. Actual. Hell.
The blood seeped across the concrete floor like a dark, blooming flower.
Silence.
Dead silence.
Even the air felt heavier, thicker, like the base itself was holding its breath.
Mia, who usually joked about everything, actually gasped—like a full-on, hand-over-mouth gasp.
Xavier muttered under his breath, "Holy shit..."
Simon, ever the quick thinker, already raised his weapon, scanning the shadows for more threats, but even he looked visibly rattled. "That wasn't just speed," he murmured, voice low. "That was precision murder."
Another hacker in our squad whispered, "Is he even human...?"
I clenched my fists. My heartbeat hammered against my ribs.
Aurelius stood there, nonchalantly twirling the bloodied dagger in his hand like it was a toy, his white shirt untouched by even a speck of blood. His expression? Cold. Unapologetic.
Like he had just swatted a fly.
My throat felt dry. This wasn't the teasing, annoying fiancé who licked my neck to piss me off.
This… This was someone else entirely.
The remaining guards—probably still processing the fact that their buddy's head just rolled across the floor—took a cautious step back.
One wrong move and they knew they were next.
Aurelius casually flicked his dagger clean with a swift shake of his wrist. Then he looked over his shoulder—right at me—with that same cocky, dangerous smirk.
"As you can see, darling," he said smoothly, "I can handle myself."
Mia nudged me sharply in the ribs, whisper-shouting, "Girl, marry that psycho right now—"
I smacked her hand away without taking my eyes off him.
Because for the first time, a strange, spine-tingling thought crept into my mind:
Maybe I'm the one out of his league.
Aurelius didn't just stop after killing him.
He placed one boot casually on top of the corpse, like a king surveying conquered land.
Then—so casually it was almost unreal—he grabbed the severed head by the hair, lifting it effortlessly.
His smile widened, all charm and sharp teeth.
"Now then," he said, his voice dripping with velvet menace, "anyone else want to test their luck tonight?"
The way he spoke... it was almost seductive. Dangerous. Like he was daring them to step forward just so he could rip them apart.
Some of the buff guards, who had been so cocky before, actually shivered.
A few took a step back. One of them even dropped his weapon with a loud clatter.
Behind me, Simon let out a low whistle. "Dude's a full-on demon."
Xavier, who was rarely impressed by anything, murmured, "I think I just found my new role model."
Meanwhile, Mia was practically bouncing on her toes beside me. "Forget marriage, just give me his autograph!"
I glared at her. "Mia, control yourself," I hissed, feeling my cheeks heat up. But even I couldn't deny it—my heart was beating way faster than it should.
Aurelius's eyes, gleaming with something dark and triumphant, locked onto mine across the room.
He lifted the severed head slightly, like a sick, teasing trophy. As if he was silently saying:
"All for you, my darling."
I swallowed hard.
Oh, this man was dangerous. And he was mine.
Whether I liked it or not.
We barely had a second to catch our breath before we heard it—
The blaring wail of the alarm, screaming through the air like a dying beast.
"INTRUDER ALERT!"
Voices shouted across the base, growing louder, angrier.
Great. Just great.
Without hesitation, our team snapped into action, ready to move. I gripped my cat's collar tighter and was about to signal everyone to scatter into tactical positions when—
Aurelius, of all people, casually raised his hand. A simple stop motion, like hold on, darling.
I blinked at him, utterly confused.
"What are you doing?" I mouthed.
He just winked at me, that same maddening, cocky grin playing on his lips.
Flirt.
Then—
as if the heavens themselves had decided to join the chaos—
the rain began to fall.
It wasn't a drizzle. It was a downpour.
The cold sheets of water hammered down from above, soaking everything instantly. Our hair, our clothes, even the blood that had already stained the concrete.
We backed away, ducking into cover under a half-crumbled awning to watch.
Because the real show was just about to begin.
The gangster-looking guards, big and snarling like pit bulls, lunged at Aurelius all at once—at least a dozen of them, maybe more.
I expected him to run, or at least step back.
But no.
Aurelius moved like water.
Effortless. Precise. Terrifying.
He ducked the first swing aimed at his head, twisting his body so smoothly it almost looked like he was dancing.
With a single flick of his dagger—just one—he slashed open the man's throat.
The guy dropped instantly, gurgling, the rain already washing the blood down the cracks of the ground.
Another thug came from behind.
Without even turning his head, Aurelius spun the dagger in his fingers and stabbed it backwards, directly into the man's heart.
Two down.
Three more charged at him with a furious roar.
He leapt into the air—yes, actually leapt—and landed behind them, slicing their tendons midair so they crumpled into the mud, howling.
Every move was fast, brutal, elegant.
Like he wasn't even trying.
It was horrifying.
It was beautiful.
We watched, stunned, as the rain turned the whole scene into a bloody ballet.
Bodies fell one after another, Aurelius weaving through them like a phantom, only a glint of silver and the flashes of his dagger visible through the mist and water.
Within minutes—
Silence.
Only the rain and the soft drip-drip of blood into puddles.
Aurelius stood in the middle of it all, soaked, breathing steadily, not a scratch on him.
The pile of bodies around him looked like a twisted offering to a war god.
Slowly, he wiped the blade against one of the dead men's jackets, sheathed it, and casually walked back to me like he hadn't just slaughtered an entire gang with one dagger.
He stopped right in front of me, tilting his head, his smile playful.
"That, my dear fiancée," he said, voice smooth as sin,
"is why I only brought one weapon."
I stared at him.
Then I stared at the bodies.
Then back at him.
Holy hell.
I think I just fell for him a little.
Maybe.
Possibly.
Definitely not admitting that out loud.
The rain hadn't stopped.
Aurelius was still standing there like some war-torn god sculpted by rain and blood, his black shirt soaked and clinging to his frame. And I mean clinging. Every inch of his torso—chiseled, lean, muscles rippling from every angle—was basically on display like some limited edition statue you'd only see in museums... or your late-night dreams.
His hair, normally sleek and sharp, now fell messily across his forehead, dripping with rain. Strands of it clung to his face, his jawline more defined than ever. And when he pushed his hand through his hair, flipping it back with that arrogant flick?
I actually forgot how to breathe.
My eyes trailed down.
Shoulders. Chest. Abs. Veins. Damn.
And then—he caught me staring.
Aurelius raised a brow, that sly little smirk curling on his lips.
Oh no. No no no—he definitely noticed.
He tilted his head, stepped closer, then shamelessly pulled his shirt open wider, revealing more of his perfectly sculpted chest. Like he was doing me a favor.
I immediately looked away. "I wasn't looking."
"Really?" he purred, leaning closer. "Then why are you drooling?"
"I'm not—" I wiped the corner of my mouth and—oh god. I was.
"Caught you," he grinned, brushing his wet hair back again dramatically like he was in some shampoo commercial. "You can stare longer if you want. I'll pose."
Then he posed.
Arms flexed. Torso angled. A half wink.
I wanted to punch him.
Or kiss him.
Maybe both.
"Callie? CALLIE!!"
Phelia burst from behind cover and looked between us, eyes wide with betrayal. "Are you seriously drooling?! Over him?!" she pointed dramatically at Aurelius like he'd just committed a federal crime.
"I—I wasn't—" I stammered, stepping back. "It's just hot in here!"
"It's raining," Simon deadpanned.
"I MEANT—!" I groaned, covering my face.
Xavier leaned on his elbow, smirking. "Let the girl appreciate art when she sees it."
Felix muttered, "I feel like I just walked into a fanfiction update I didn't subscribe to."
Phelia crossed her arms. "Unbelievable. First the other celebrities, and now this guy. I thought we had standards."
"I am the standard," Aurelius chimed in smugly.
"Shut up, wet muscle man," she hissed, still glaring.
Meanwhile, Aurelius just strutted past everyone like a victorious peacock, hair dripping, blade sheathed, and chest still exposed. He gave me one final wink before calling out—
"Eyes up here, Callista."
I swear, I'm going to kill him.
After this mission.
Maybe.
We pushed forward, into the base.
The halls were dark and narrow, with sirens still flashing red across the walls like blood veins. The further we went, the thicker the air became—heavy with the smell of metal, oil, and something... rotting.
My team stayed close, weapons raised. Aurelius led casually, spinning his dagger in his hand like he was just playing instead of being in enemy territory.
I rolled my eyes. "Cocky idiot," I muttered under my breath.
He must've heard because he sent a smirk over his shoulder. Again, flipping his drenched hair back like he was starring in some action movie.
Typical.
We were almost to the central holding chamber. I could see a heavy steel door up ahead—the location the hackers marked. That was it.
Behind that door was Aurora. And probably dozens of others.
My heart pounded harder, my hands itching.
Then—
BANG!
Gunfire. Sharp and sudden.
We dove behind cover instantly. Xavier grabbed Mia, Felix threw up a shield barrier from his tech, and Simon fired back blindly.
I turned to signal Phelia—
But I wasn't fast enough.
Another shot.
And everything went white.
I staggered.
Pain exploded in my chest—hot, raw, dizzying.
Someone screamed my name.
Maybe it was Phelia. Maybe it was Aurelius. I couldn't tell.
All I knew was—
I was falling.
And falling.
And falling.
The last thing I saw before darkness swallowed me whole was Aurelius's horrified face charging toward me, dagger and rage in hand.
Then—
Nothing.
[END OF CHAPTER 14]