Chapter 25 Anna's Past
Hearing her words, I couldn’t help but laugh. Not a small laugh, either, an amused, entertained kind of laugh that bubbled out of me before I could stop it. For some reason, I was excited. Maybe it was because she spoke with zero fear, or because her confidence mirrored something I hadn’t seen in a long time. Maybe it was because she wasn’t trying to impress me, just being her usual blunt self. Whatever it was, she had managed to get my full attention.
“So tell me something, Anna,” I said, leaning back in my chair and crossing one leg over the other. “If someone bribed you with a huge amount of money to kill me… would you take the offer? Since you sound like someone who likes money.”
Her reaction was immediate. Anna leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees, her expression serious. “Despite what I said,” she replied, “I meant it. I’m the most loyal mother fucker you’ll ever meet, as long as I’m being paid well for my services.”
Her voice was steady, unwavering. She didn’t blink. She didn’t pause. Her answer was sharp, unapologetically honest, and somehow reassuring.
I inhaled slowly, studying her face. “Alright then. How much would you like to collect monthly as your salary?”
She leaned back, placing her hand on her chin in thought. For a moment she looked up, almost as if mentally calculating numbers in the air. “Well… in my previous job, I was paid five thousand dollars,” she said. “Which honestly wasn’t worth it. They gave me missions that should have earned me promotions, but I was treated unfairly.” She sighed, a frustrated exhale filled with memories she clearly didn’t like revisiting. Then she lowered her hands and looked at me. “I’d like it if I could be paid seven thousand dollars monthly.”
Her voice was hopeful yet firm, as if she were trying to balance confidence with realism.
Silence permeated the room.
I didn’t speak. Not a word.
I simply stared at her, waiting, watching. Slowly, I began to see hesitation form in her eyes. She adjusted her posture, her lips parting slightly as if she wanted to take her words back.
Then she stuttered. “Uh—well—what if… if you could pay me six thousand monthly?”
Still, I didn’t say anything.
Her cheeks started turning faintly red, frustration mixing with nervousness, and she leaned forward again. “Or… or five thousand dollars. That’s fine too! I mean, I’ll have free accommodation and free meals here, right? So five thousand is perfectly okay.”
I couldn’t hold it anymore.
I suddenly broke into a hard laugh that was loud, unfiltered, and genuine. I threw my head back and let the laughter echo through the room. I now knew exactly why I liked this girl. She thought she was being clever, adjusting her price step by step, but she had no idea how ridiculous she sounded to me. And her desperation to correct herself only made her more amusing.
There was also something else. A feeling. An instinct. I felt like she was hiding something deeper about why she quit being a CIA agent, something much heavier than unfair treatment or questioned missions. But despite that, one thing was clear, she wasn’t greedy. Not even close.
Anna frowned, confused by my laughter. “Why are you laughing? Is it… is it because you can’t pay me even five grand monthly?”
I covered my mouth to control my laugh. “No, no, that’s not the case,” I said quickly. “You’re just hilarious.”
Her brows knitted tighter. “Hilarious how?”
“Anna,” I said with a smirk, “even the lowest rookie in our clan earns nothing less than ten thousand to fifteen thousand dollars monthly.”
Her eyes widened sharply, visibly, and dramatically. “Wait—ten to fifteen thousand? Monthly?”
“Yes,” I replied casually.
She blinked several times, her mouth slightly opened in disbelief. Then she muttered, “So… are you going to pay me ten grand monthly?”
I grinned. “No.”
Before she could look disappointed, I added, “I’ll be paying you twenty thousand dollars monthly. And I’ll eventually increase it if you show commitment.”
Her reaction was priceless.
Anna’s eyes widened even more, almost comically large. “Twenty grand for a start?!” she exclaimed.
Before I could even nod, she suddenly shot up from her chair like a launched rocket and leaped toward me. The movement was so fast I didn’t have time to brace myself. She dropped to her knees, grabbed hold of my feet, literally wrapping her arms around my ankles and cried out, “I’ll start right away!”
I froze.
Startled didn’t even begin to describe how I felt. This girl, this former CIA agent, suddenly turned into an overexcited puppy clinging to me like I’d just rescued her from poverty. She didn’t act like someone who was formerly an agent. Not even close. But there’s a saying: never judge a book by its cover.
Even if the book is doing something un-book-like… like hugging your ankles.
“Anna,” I said, blinking, “get up.”
She lifted her head with a huge, almost insane smile. “I’ll work like my life depends on it!”
“I’m sure you will,” I muttered, still stunned. “But relax. You can start—but we need to finalize some agreements first.”
She nodded enthusiastically, getting up so fast she nearly knocked over the chair behind her.
I reached for my phone and dialed Eric. The moment he picked up, I said, “Come inside. We need to finalize everything.”
“Yes, boss,” he responded immediately.
As I hung up, Anna clasped her hands together and stood there like an obedient soldier waiting for orders. Her smile was still plastered on her face, eyes gleaming with excitement.
I exhaled lightly, shaking my head.
This woman was going to be interesting.
The door opened moments later and Eric stepped inside with a folder in hand. He looked at Anna’s flushed face, then at my slightly bewildered expression, and raised one eyebrow.
“What… happened?” he asked slowly.
“Just bring the papers,” I replied. “We’re hiring her.”
Anna beamed proudly.
Eric blinked twice. “Already?”
“Yes,” I said. “Already.”