The following morning, Arora sat inside her office reviewing reports from the Boar operation. The shipment had been destroyed, several key arrests had been made, and the remaining members had scattered. Overall, it had been a clean, successful mission.
Yet her attention kept drifting toward the corner of her desk.
The photograph rested beneath her leather blotter. Every now and then her eyes found it again, the same unanswered questions looping in her mind: Who left it? Why now? And what exactly was she supposed to see in her mother's smile?
A knock interrupted her thoughts. "Enter."
One of the guards stepped inside, standing at attention. Arora placed her pen down. "What is Jack doing?"
The guard blinked once, surprised by the question. "He woke up about an hour ago, Leader. Breakfast has already been served."
"And the instructions?"
"As ordered."
"Good."
The guard left, but another immediate problem remained near the couch: Edwin. The man stood stiffly, looking exceptionally nervous. Whenever Edwin looked nervous, somebody else's day was usually about to become worse.
"What?" Arora asked, leaning back.
Edwin straightened his posture. "Nothing."
"You've been standing there for five minutes."
"I'm mentally preparing myself."
"For what?"
"I don't know yet," Edwin admitted. "I just have a bad feeling."
Arora sighed. Sometimes she wondered how he had survived into adulthood.
Before she could dismiss him, the office door opened again. Jack stepped inside, morning sunlight catching his soft blond hair.
"Good morning, Baby."
Arora immediately regretted being awake. "Good morning."
Jack smiled before taking a seat in an armchair. Only then did Arora notice the faint, swollen mark on his lower lip—the exact twin to her own bruise from two nights ago. Fortunately, he still looked completely unaware of how he got it.
Good. Let's keep it that way.
"What did you need me for?" Jack asked, leaning forward with curiosity.
"I need your professional expertise."
Jack looked surprised. "My expertise?"
"Yes."
His surprise quickly turned into intrigue. "About what?"
Arora opened a new tactical file. "We have an undercover operation tomorrow at St. Gabriel Medical Center. Someone connected to the Boar investigation has been tampering with patient archives, and the restricted administrative wing only allows verified female executives and high-profile donors on site during audit hours."
Upon hearing the hospital's name, Edwin blinked. A hopeful smile spread across his face. "Isn't that where Kelvin works as a visiting doctor? Why can't we just ask him to help us?"
"I know," Arora replied without hesitation, her tone unyielding. "But I'm not putting my brother and his career in danger. So we have to stick with this plan."
Edwin's smile vanished. Arora pointed a single finger across the room at him. "Which brings us to you."
Silence descended on the office. Edwin looked behind himself, then around the empty room, then back at Arora. "Me?"
"Yes."
"No," Edwin said instantly.
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
Jack was already grinning—a dangerous sign. Edwin caught the expression and looked deeply concerned. "What exactly is happening?"
"We need someone inside to bypass the primary security checkpoint," Arora said.
"Okay."
"And you volunteered."
Edwin froze. "I did what?"
"You volunteered."
"I absolutely did not!"
"You did."
"I wasn't even here!"
"Minor detail."
Jack let out a sudden burst of laughter. Edwin pointed accusingly. "Why is he laughing?!"
"Because he's helping," Arora said smoothly.
The laughter stopped dead. Jack blinked, pointing to his chest. "I'm helping?"
Arora nodded. "You're the owner of a cosmetics company."
Underneath his calm exterior, a sharp jolt of shock went through Jack. He hadn't expected Arora to bring up his company so directly. Still, deep down, he knew the moment he allowed himself to get brought into Black Rose Headquarters, it was only a matter of time before her intelligence network dug up his real credentials. Masking his surprise in less than a second, he maintained his light, nonchalant smile as if nothing had phased him.
"Oh," Jack murmured, leaning back with an easy grin.
Edwin looked between them—slowly, carefully—as horror struck. "No."
Jack's smile widened. "Oh, yes."
"No."
"Oh, yes."
Arora closed the file. "We need you disguised as an elite female executive."
The silence that followed was beautiful. Edwin looked betrayed—personally, spiritually, and emotionally—by everyone in the room.
"Leader."
"Yes?"
"I have served Black Rose faithfully for years."
"You have."
"I have completed impossible missions."
"You have."
"I have nearly died for this organization."
"You have."
"Then why are you doing this to my dignity?!"
Jack was laughing so hard he nearly slid out of his chair. Arora kept her face completely serious. "Because you're five-foot-ten, slender, and have refined facial bone structure."
"That's the worst reason I've ever heard!"
"Unfortunately, it's also true."
Edwin looked toward Jack. Jack looked utterly delighted—which somehow made everything worse.
"You know what?" Edwin muttered bitterly. "I suddenly miss fighting people."
Arora stood up, gathering her files. "Excellent. Then you'll survive tomorrow at the hospital."
Behind her, Edwin's horrified protests echoed through headquarters while Jack enthusiastically began listing makeup options, wigs, and designer heels. For the first time that morning, Arora almost smiled.
Almost.
To Be Continued...