After that, Maria returned to the hotel. She sat in front of her laptop, staring at the screen. She had already chosen the apartment she would move into—just one click left to make the payment. Her plan was to move there after the test.
A message notification popped up. It was from Oliver.
> I support your decision to stay out of the house.
Don't come home right now—the atmosphere isn't stable.
Take care of yourself. I've sent some money to your account.
Maria read the message again. And again. A faint smile tugged at her lips. Of all people, Oliver was the one to reach out. Just as she was about to close her laptop, another message popped up—this time, from Jake.
> Sup, gorgeous 😘
Maria rolled her eyes and replied:
> Why weren't you at the shooting ground today?
Jake didn't miss a beat.
> You miss me? I'm so touched.
> How did you even know about my beef with Tessa?
How did you help me?
And how did you find Linda at the police station so easily?
There was a pause before Jake's next message came in.
> Hmm... should I answer that or not? Hmmm... I just felt like my baby was in trouble, so I went to help.
If you really want to thank me, why not give yourself to me?
> Why don't I slap you instead? You're covered in mystery.
Let me guess: criminal organization? Are you the leader?
Maybe you're working with them—or against them. Maybe both, just for the thrill. Who is Star?
Jake replied quickly:
> Tsk. Hold your horses, Officer Maria. What's with the interrogation? I'm a nice, civilized, law-abiding citizen.
> You're more corrupt than a politician.
> Caught me there. 😏
So, do you like working with danger now?
> Anyway, I told the instructor I wanted to learn how to fight.
So… ready to pay up, my dear "friend"?
> Wow, so we're "friends" now when money's involved? Tragic. Money ruins friendship.
> No, money builds it. 😊
With that, Maria shut her laptop, chuckling to herself. Then, she leaned back, picked up her book, and began reading, her eyes calm and focused.
---
--
"You're telling me Maria killed someone?" Jay asked, tilting his head, eyes narrowing as he glanced at Neo. Neo rested his chin on his hand and sighed.
"Yeah," Neo replied. "I was shocked too. She didn't even flinch. It's like she's used to holding a gun—not something a beginner can pull off."
Jay leaned back, eyeing the computer screen where Mike appeared calm, reading a document—but his gaze wasn't focused.
"All headshots too," Jay added, glancing sideways. "That's not normal."
"And the gun she used?" Neo tapped his fingers on the desk. "It was customized. Top-grade material. Even the bullets were tailor-made—fit her hand and her build perfectly. I did some digging—no registered gun company has ever made something like it. Even the underground black-market sources came up empty."
Jay's eyes sharpened. "Any symbols on the gun? It might be from that organization. Remember those cases—victims with bizarre bullet wounds, like the bullets weren't from any known weapon? Just came out of thin air."
Neo froze, then stood up abruptly and paced toward the door before turning back. "Damn. Why didn't I think of that? I saw the gun in Maria's hand—just for a second before she put it away. It was red, with golden and silver dragons carved on either side. I didn't get a good look at the bullets, though. The body was taken care of fast. Ashes disposed of."
"No need to investigate any further," Mike's calm voice came from the screen, his eyes now focused. "And make sure to destroy anything that could implicate her."
Neo and Jay nodded, but Neo still mumbled, "What if Jake gave her the gun? Also, I saw Chloe at the warehouse… She was the one who helped Maria. But that doesn't make sense—Chloe isn't the type to be helpful."
Jay flicked a pen at Neo's head. "Mike already guessed all that. He just wants you to shut up."
"You two are always bullying me," Neo muttered, walking toward the office balcony. "Then when you need something, suddenly I'm useful."
Jay leaned back in his chair. "So, how's the cleanup going on your side?"
"Almost done," Neo said, watching the city below. "A few issues came up, but I solved them."
Mike's screen went dark, ending the call. Jay studied the blank screen before chuckling. "Anyway, I heard from one of our classmates—apparently your girl made a bet with her class monitor."
Neo smirked as he walked back inside. "She can handle herself. If the class monitor pushes her too far, I'll just break their legs and hand them to her as a toy," Mike had said earlier, with a rare smile. Jay rolled his eyes at the memory and ended the video call.
Sitting with his feet on the desk, Jay twirled his pen, thoughtful. "Hey, Neo… don't you feel like Maria's changed? A lot?"
"Duh. Anyone with eyes can see that," Neo replied from the balcony. "Maybe she got struck by lightning in her sleep and saw how pathetic her past self was. Like a fish leaving the sea, trying to breathe on land."
Jay leaned back, arms crossed. "What made her change overnight? I feel like I've missed too much by not going to school."
"Maybe someone's helping her," Neo shrugged. "Or maybe she just snapped. Either way, not my girl—not my problem. But this version of Maria? Total trouble magnet."
Jay tapped his pen. "And the old Maria?"
Neo let out a dry chuckle. "Painful to watch. Chasing Chris, humiliating herself, doing all kinds of cringey stuff. I looked into it a little. Ivy? She's like a parasite. And Maria was just the host—feeding her, sacrificing everything."
Neo looked disgusted. "And Oliver? Her own twin sister? Makes it even worse."
Jay raised a brow. "Is that more painful than Mike deciding not to go to university, just to 'enjoy school life'?"
"Hah. Almost as painful as us deciding not to skip grades so we could enjoy the chaos too," Neo laughed, stepping back inside. He grabbed a banana from the table, peeled it, and sat down.
Jay blinked, noticing something. "Hey, what happened to your watch?"
Neo looked at his empty wrist. "Right. Forgot. It got stolen."
"Stolen?" Jay repeated.
"Yeah. I bumped into a girl at the club. When I got to my car, the watch was gone," Neo said casually, taking a bite of the banana.
Jay snorted, shaking his head with a chuckle.
---
The Next Day at School
Jay and Neo walked into the school garage, casually chatting until they spotted someone leaning against a car—Chris.
"Well, well," Neo smirked, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Look who actually showed up. The school's golden boy attending school for once?"
Chris raised an eyebrow, smoothing his hair. "Unlike some people, I'm not privileged enough to skip school, party at clubs, waste money, or chase girls. I'd rather not catch AIDS, STDs, or spend my savings on people who mean nothing to me."
Neo chuckled, clearly unfazed. "At least you're self-aware. But I don't need to show up to school every day when I already have an admission letter from the best university. And spending money on women? That's just taking care of them—they're meant to enjoy the best life. Not that you'd understand how to treat a woman. You've been single your whole life, and probably always will be."
Chris gave a calm smile. "Yes, but unlike somebody, I don't need to spend a dime or say a word. All I need to do is let people know I'm available, and the line of girls—and women—would make yours hide their faces in shame… assuming they don't join the line themselves."
He stepped forward as if to touch Neo, then changed his mind. With a smirk, he wiped his hand with a handkerchief, tossed it into the nearby bin, and walked off like nothing happened.
Neo blinked, mouth slightly open. Then he let out a half-laugh, half-scoff. "Damn… That fucker. Who does he think he is?" he growled, glaring after Chris.
Jay strolled past, hands in his pockets. "You deserved that one. Should've minded your business. Now look—you embarrassed yourself," he said coolly, walking away without looking back.
Neo pointed at Jay's back, lips curled in irritation, before licking his lips and following after him.
---