"No, I just wanted to take a look!"
Patrina's lips curved into a faint, almost playful smile, and the men standing nearby couldn't help but stare at her a little longer than necessary. There was something about her presence—subtle, controlled—that drew attention without effort. She moved casually among the displays, her gaze sweeping over the neatly arranged items as if she were just another curious visitor, yet her eyes lingered for a fraction of a second on something that seemed oddly familiar.
She didn't stop there. Instead, she continued wandering through the exhibition hall, blending seamlessly into the flow of the crowd, observing every corner with quiet precision. By the time night fell, she had already made a full circuit of the building, memorizing its layout, before finally slipping out alongside the departing visitors without raising a single hint of suspicion.
As the last guests exited, the atmosphere inside the exhibition hall shifted completely. Security personnel began their routine inspections, carefully checking each display and every corner of the building. Their movements were methodical, practiced, and confident, as if nothing could possibly go wrong under their watch. Eventually, after confirming that everything was in order, one of the guards walked to the main entrance, shut the heavy doors, and locked them with a decisive click.
Silence settled over the entire hall.
Midnight arrived quietly, wrapping the building in darkness, until a faint, sharp sound suddenly broke the stillness—the unmistakable crack of glass from somewhere above. A thin black rope descended slowly from the ceiling, swaying slightly as it reached toward the floor. Moments later, a figure followed, sliding down with effortless control.
The masked woman wore a fitted black leather jacket that accentuated her slender, curving figure. She landed without making a sound, her movements smooth and precise. Her bright, observant eyes scanned the surroundings carefully, taking in every detail, before finally locking onto the massive gem displayed at the center of the hall. A faint spark of excitement flickered in her gaze.
She approached without hesitation, her steps light and measured. However, just as her hand extended toward the glass case, her movement abruptly halted. Her instincts flared, sharp and immediate, warning her of danger. Looking closer, she noticed nearly invisible threads woven around the display, perfectly aligned with the glass casing, forming an intricate and highly sensitive alarm system.
Patrina's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the mechanism. Her gaze flicked briefly to the base of the display, a subtle realization passing through her mind. Without wasting another second, she turned and sprinted toward the office in the lobby, her movements swift and silent.
She searched thoroughly, combing through the space for anything that might disable the system, but despite her efforts, she couldn't find a way to crack the mechanism. Her expression remained calm, though a faint glint of frustration passed through her eyes. After a moment of consideration, she returned to the central exhibit, her focus sharper than before.
Then, suddenly, she noticed something.
Her body reacted instantly. She dashed toward a nearby pillar and leapt upward, her hands gripping the smooth surface with surprising strength. Like a cat scaling a wall, she climbed rapidly, her body light and agile, reaching the second floor in the blink of an eye.
At that exact moment, the sound of shattering glass rang out again.
Three heavily built men armed with guns burst into the hall, their presence loud and forceful compared to her silent infiltration. Their eyes swept across the displays before quickly locking onto the rope still hanging from above. One of them stepped forward, narrowing his eyes as he grabbed the rope and gave it a testing pull.
Meanwhile, the other two wasted no time. They rushed toward the nearby display cases, smashing the glass with brute force and stuffing the valuable items into large sacks. Their movements were efficient, clearly rehearsed, as if they had planned this operation in detail.
"Wait."
The sudden voice echoed from above, cutting through the noise of breaking glass. All three men froze instinctively and looked up.
A figure emerged slowly from the stone wall of the second floor, as if she had been part of it all along. Patrina stood there with a faint smile, her gaze calm yet sharp as she looked down at them.
"Taking everything at once?" she said lightly. "That's a bit greedy, don't you think?"
She had already seen through their method. They had disabled or bypassed the alarm system without triggering any alerts, which meant they weren't amateurs. Still, before she could say anything further, the three men responded not with words, but with action.
They raised their weapons and opened fire.
Gunshots exploded through the hall, the flashes of bullets lighting up the darkness. But Patrina had already moved. Her body shifted across the stone wall with incredible speed, her movements fluid and unpredictable. In the blink of an eye, she had repositioned herself behind them, clinging to the wall like a shadow.
Before the men could react, she pushed off and dropped down.
She landed directly in front of one of them, her leg snapping downward in a powerful arc that slammed him into the ground. At the same time, the other two lunged at her, their fists striking out with force.
To them, their attacks were fast and precise. To her, they were painfully slow.
She twisted her body slightly, evading both strikes with minimal movement, and countered instantly. Her fists shot forward like lightning, striking both men with sharp, controlled force. Pain flashed across their faces as they staggered and collapsed.
However, the man she had knocked down recovered quickly. He surged forward with a rapid combination of punches, forcing her to step back just as she was about to press her advantage. His movements were disciplined, far more refined than the others.
Gunfire erupted again, bullets tearing through the air as sparks flashed against the walls. Patrina's figure blurred as she moved, her awareness heightened, her body reacting faster than ever. At that moment, she felt sharper, more alive—like a true predator.
"Damn it!"
The man tossed aside his empty gun and charged forward, relying on close combat. But against her, his skills felt almost childish. She dodged effortlessly, her body weaving through his attacks before delivering a rapid series of strikes.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
He was sent flying backward, crashing to the ground. The other two rushed in again, refusing to back down, and soon all three of them were engaged in a chaotic fight against her.
Despite being surrounded, Patrina remained completely at ease. Her body moved with fluid precision, her waist twisting, her limbs bending into angles that seemed almost impossible. Every motion was efficient, controlled, and deadly.
Then, in a single instant, she struck.
Three rapid punches landed squarely against their heads, each one deliberate and powerful. The force behind them was overwhelming, and the three men dropped to the ground, their vision fading as darkness took over.
Silence returned once more.
Patrina stood there, her breathing steady, her expression calm as she looked down at the unconscious men. If anything, she seemed even more composed than before, her body in perfect condition.
She picked up the sack they had brought and walked straight to the central exhibit. Without hesitation, she smashed the glass casing, ignoring the mechanism entirely now that it had already been compromised.
The gem fell into her hands.
A faint smile spread across her face as she admired it briefly, the light reflecting in her eyes. Then she turned her attention back to the three men. With quick, efficient movements, she tied them securely to nearby beams and pillars, ensuring there was no chance of escape.
Once she was satisfied, she grabbed the rope hanging in the center of the hall and began climbing upward. Her movements were swift and silent, her figure disappearing into the night as if she had never been there at all.
By early morning, the scene had transformed once again.
Ace Grayson stood in the exhibition hall, his expression dark and furious as he watched the three captured men being pinned to the ground by police officers. Around him, the security staff kept their heads lowered, too afraid to meet his gaze.
The wail of sirens filled the air as the criminals were dragged into police cars. The moment they were taken away, Ace strode forward, his anger finally boiling over.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Three loud slaps echoed through the hall as he struck the security captain across the face.
"Useless!"
"Boss, we followed your orders and left early last night," the captain replied, his voice strained and aggrieved.
Ace didn't even look at him. Instead, his cold gaze shifted to a young man standing nearby, dressed in a sharp suit with gold-rimmed glasses. His expression was grim, his tone even colder.
"Track that item's circulation. I want every detail, no matter how small. Notify the Star City branch and have them act immediately."
"Yes, sir."
The man inclined his head slightly before turning and walking out of the exhibition hall without hesitation.
Behind him, the faint sound of a glass cabinet door hitting the floor echoed softly. A subtle smile appeared on his lips, and an unnatural flush spread across his pale face, giving him an almost unsettling appearance.
"Interesting… very interesting."
He adjusted his tie neatly as he stepped into a black limousine waiting outside. Sitting down, he reached for a phone, dialing a number with practiced ease.
"Hello?"
At the sound of the voice on the other end, his expression shifted instantly into one of deep respect. Yet the faint, uncontrollable curve of his lips made the look seem almost twisted.
"Boss, the item was stolen. It wasn't our people."
"Mm."
The call ended quickly.
He removed the SIM card from the phone, crushed it between his fingers, and casually tossed the device out of the window.
"Boss, where to next?" the driver asked in a low voice.
The man didn't answer immediately. Instead, the car filled with a strange tension as the driver slowly turned his head. His pale face stretched into an exaggerated grin that didn't look human at all.
Then laughter burst out, loud and unrestrained, echoing inside the confined space of the car.
....
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