The convoy of black cars cut through the sleeping city like shadows with engines. Each vehicle bore the faint engraving of a single rose on its doors — the seal of The Black Rose Gang.
In the back seat of the lead car, Arora sat with her elbow against the window, watching streaks of light slide over the glass.
She'd been silent since leaving the gym. Not even the driver dared to turn on the radio.
Outside, traffic lights blinked lazily through the mist. Inside, her thoughts wouldn't stop moving.
That smile again.
She could still see it when she closed her eyes: golden hair damp with rain, the small crinkle near his eyes, the easy way he'd said her name — Baby.
It wasn't supposed to matter.
It wasn't supposed to feel like anything.
She pressed her thumb against her temple and exhaled.
"Leader?" her bodyguard in the front asked quietly.
"Keep driving," she said.
He nodded, eyes fixed on the road.
---
For two years, she had ruled these streets.
She'd faced men who begged for mercy, watched empires collapse under her command.
Nothing had shaken her since the night she took the Black Rose throne.
But tonight, one stranger's smile had done what bullets couldn't — it had made her hesitate.
Pathetic, she told herself. You're acting like some college girl with a crush.
She almost laughed at the thought, but the sound caught in her throat.
The city blurred past — bars closing, street vendors packing up, the distant hum of trains.
The world looked softer from inside the tinted glass, and for a moment she allowed herself to sink into that softness.
Maybe it's fine to think about him once, she reasoned. Just once.
---
Intercut – Black Rose Headquarters
Edwin yawned at the reception desk, half-asleep and half-nervous.
He'd just finished cleaning up the mess from earlier — two tables broken, one terrified restaurant manager bribed into silence.
Miso walked past him, carrying a stack of reports.
"You still awake?" she asked.
"Barely," he muttered. "If the Leader comes back in this mood again, I'm jumping out the window."
She smirked. "You say that every week."
Before he could reply, the distant rumble of engines rolled through the courtyard.
"She's here," Miso said.
Edwin straightened instantly, trying to look busy. "And I'm definitely not sleeping on the job."
---
Back to Arora
The driver slowed as the cars turned into the private lane leading to the compound.
Guards in black lined the entrance, the rose insignia glinting beneath the security lights.
Arora leaned her head back against the seat, staring up at the dark roof of the car.
Her pulse was calmer now, but her mind wasn't.
Why did I tell him that? she thought. Baby.
The word still felt dangerous on her tongue — ridiculous, intimate, completely out of character.
She caught her reflection in the window — composed, cold, unreadable.
No one would ever guess that behind those eyes was a woman replaying the way a stranger had said her name.
The car stopped.
"Leader, we've arrived," the driver said.
Arora blinked, straightened her coat, and pushed the door open.
The cool air hit her face like a wake-up call.
The lights of her empire spread before her: stone walls, glass corridors, silent guards.
Everything she'd built in two ruthless years.
And yet, all she could think of was him.
She sighed quietly. "Get it together, Arora."
Then she stepped out, her heels striking the marble path — every trace of warmth sealed back behind the mask of the Black Rose.
---
Headquarters
The building was unusually quiet that night.
Dim lights flickered across steel walls, and the hum of machinery filled the space with a faint unease.
Arora sat in her office upstairs, shoulders slightly slouched but eyes still sharp.
She'd barely touched the tea on her desk. Her body was tired, but her mind — restless as ever.
A knock broke the silence.
She didn't look up. "Enter."
Kelvin stepped in, half-exasperated, half-smiling.
"Aren't you busy enough? Or are you just pretending to be?"
Arora sighed, eyes narrowing. "Aren't you supposed to be saving lives instead of disturbing mine?"
He folded his arms, standing before her desk. "Why are you always making me suffer, huh?"
Arora looked up, genuinely puzzled. "What did I even do to make my big brother angry this time?"
"Don't play innocent."
"I'm serious," she said calmly. "What did I do?"
Kelvin pulled two cards from his pocket and placed them on the desk.
"Two patients came to my hospital today with my visiting cards. Guess who gave it to them?"
She tilted her head. "Me. Obviously."
His voice rose slightly. "The second one brought police officers! Took me an hour to convince them I wasn't working with you."
Arora blinked, unimpressed. "That scum brought the police to you? Tch."
From the sofa, Miso peeked up from her phone. "Why would he do that, Brother?"
"Ask your Leader," Kelvin muttered. "She's the one who turned me into her accomplice."
Arora stood, brushing off her coat. "Just quit it already. I'm too tired to argue today."
She walked out, ignoring his protests.
Kelvin exhaled, leaning back against the wall. "Why does she always make things harder for herself…"
Miso's voice softened. "Don't worry, Brother. Someday she'll meet someone she'll actually want to protect — for her own sake."
Kelvin's gaze lingered on the door she had disappeared through. "I hope that time comes soon."
---
A While Later – Ground Floor, HQ
Footsteps echoed down the hall.
"Leader!" Edwin's loud voice broke the stillness as he burst into the room, dragging a man bound in rope.
Kelvin turned sharply from his seat. "You're back already?"
Edwin grinned, wiping sweat from his brow. "Mission accomplished."
Kelvin frowned. "Whom did you kidnap this time?"
Edwin gestured to the man, who stumbled forward, terrified. "This guy. He's a CEO of some company."
The man's voice cracked with fear. "Please! Please let me go!"
Edwin sighed. "He's been shouting since we caught him."
Kelvin stepped closer, studying the frightened man. "Don't worry. We're not here to hurt you."
The man hesitated, glancing around the cold metal room. "Then… why did you bring me here?"
Edwin tossed a phone toward him. "Call your office. Tell them you're going on vacation for fifteen days."
The man blinked. "Why should I?"
Edwin's tone dropped to something calm — almost chilling. "Because if you don't, someone else will come for you. And they won't be this kind."
The man swallowed, trembling. His eyes darted between them — something about Edwin's quiet confidence made him believe the threat. Slowly, he took the phone.
From the corridor, Miso appeared, eyes widening at the scene. "You caught the target already?"
"Yeah," Edwin said, cracking his neck. "Fastest job yet."
Miso blinked again, her gaze locking on the man's face. For a second, she froze.
Then she whispered, "Wait… no way."
Without hesitation, she turned and sprinted down the hall. "Leader!"
---
Moments Later
Arora's boots echoed as she approached the holding room. "Miso?"
"Yes, Leader."
"What's going on?"
Miso's voice was tight. "You… you'll see."
Arora stepped inside. The dim light flickered, revealing the man tied to the chair.
The moment her eyes fell on him, she stopped.
Her expression shifted — disbelief flickering beneath that cold, calm surface.
"Am I hallucinating," she muttered, "or is that annoying brat here?"
Miso blinked beside her. "You're not hallucinating, Leader. I can see him too."
Jack's head jerked up at the sound of her voice. His eyes widened — recognition slamming into him like lightning.
And before he could think, he shouted, his voice echoing through the entire floor:
"BABY!!!"
The room froze.
Edwin blinked. Kelvin looked completely lost. Miso's jaw dropped.
Arora stood unmoving — her face blank, her eyes unreadable.
Only her fingers tightened slightly against her coat sleeve — the smallest crack in her perfect calm.
The silence that followed was louder than the shout.
---
To Be Continued.