10
**AMELIA'S POV**
The next day, Carlos escorted me to a secluded training facility, surrounded by high walls and armed guards. It felt like I was entering a fortress, a stark reminder of the dangerous path I’d chosen. Inside, I met a team of instructors—experts in everything from firearms to hand-to-hand combat and surveillance. They didn’t waste time on pleasantries, pushing me to my limits from day one.
Days blurred into weeks as I threw myself into the exhausting routine. I drilled relentlessly, learning to handle firearms with precision, feeling their weight and understanding their mechanisms. I practiced over and over until I could hit a target with confidence, no hesitation. Martial arts followed, and I learned how to disarm attackers, turn my surroundings into weapons, and evade with every ounce of strength I could summon.
I and Carlos somehow grew closer, i don’t even know how that happened
“When do I get an actual gun? This thing looks like a toy,” I grumbled, turning the small weapon over in my hand.
Carlos chuckled. “You don’t need anything more than that to protect yourself right now.”
“Of course. Kai doesn’t trust me,” I said with a dry smile. “I’d probably shoot him if I had the chance.”
Just as I spoke, I felt a shift in the room. I turned to see Kai himself, watching me with that unreadable look. Carlos took his cue and left us alone, the tension rising again as he walked towards me.
"I see you’re getting comfortable here," Kai said, a hint of mockery in his voice. "But I’m curious—how far have you gotten?”
I met his gaze, refusing to let him know that I’m intimidated by him “Did you get my request for payment?”
A smirk tugged at his lips as he began to circle me. “You still have the nerve to ask for money after swindling me?”
“Am I asking for too much?” I shot back, my tone sarcastic.
His smirk deepened, but before he could respond, I lunged at him, unleashing everything I’d learned. My punches and kicks came fast, every move fuelled by frustration and anger, but he countered each attack effortlessly with very minimal effort. I realized quickly that he was toying with me, only exerting enough effort to keep me at bay without hurting me.
This made me even more frustrated as I tried to land a single hit on Kai. Every punch, every kick felt like striking solid rock, leaving my body aching and bruised, but I refused to give up. Gathering all of the little strength left in me, I launched at him—only for him to swiftly counter and pin me down.
“Enough,” he said, his voice edged with disappointment and superiority. “What has Carlos even been teaching you?”
Lying there, breathing hard, I ignored his question, even though i knew that trying to fight him was really embarrassing as i kept losing to him, i still didn’t want to give him the pleasure of finding out how weak i was. “Are you really going to let me go if I manage to track down the hackers?”
Kai’s gaze lingered on me for a long moment. He released his grip and stood, extending a hand to pull me up. “Maybe,” he replied, voice softer.
“Don’t say ‘maybe.’ You have to keep your word!” I said, my voice rising slightly in frustration.
He turned, a glint of warning in his eyes. “watch your tone, Amelia, unless you have a death wish,” he said, coldly. “Prepare yourself—you’ll be on your first assignment tomorrow. It’s in Mexico. Dress formally, and keep it decent.”
********************************
The next morning, I stuffed my things into my luggage, realizing, embarrassingly, that I didn’t have a single “official” outfit. All Bianca had bought me were casual clothes, except for one dress—a black, tight-fitting, low-cut number. I frowned, shoving it into the bag just as Carlos appeared at the door.
“Flight leaves in five minutes. You don’t want to keep Kai waiting.”
I glanced up. “As you can see, I’m not even dressed yet. Tell your boss to piss off if he’s too impatient,” I muttered, still struggling with the zipper.
“You don’t have to be formally dressed right now,” Carlos said with a small sigh. “You’ll have time to change when we get there.”
I threw my hair up into a messy bun, tugged on my oversized hoodie, and dragged my heavy luggage out. As we walked to Kai’s private runway, I couldn’t help but scoff at the sheer extravagance.
“Who builds their own runway and buys an entire fleet of private jets instead of just… going to an airport?”
“Privacy,” Carlos replied. “Kai hates sharing anything public.”
As we boarded, I made sure to sit as far from Kai as possible, keeping to my corner of the luxurious jet. Six hours later, we landed in Mexico City on yet another private landing strip. Outside, a sleek white limousine awaited us. After a short drive, we pulled up to an enormous hotel—practically the size of an estate. I recognized it from a news segment before my abduction.
“Hotel Bianco…” I squinted at the Italian word on the sign.
“***Hotel Bianco Reale***,” Kai corrected as he stepped out.
“Is this one of your properties?” I found myself asking, glancing around at the immaculate grounds. “You must be raking it in. This place looks like a vacation spot.”
“It’s not a commercial property,” he replied. “It’s reserved for meetings concerning the Alessandro family.”
I shook my head, amazed. “Why waste so much money when you could rent a conference hall?”
“Confidentiality,” Carlos piped up, catching up with us and hauling Kai’s luggage.
Kai paused just inside the entrance, issuing a clipped order. “Carlos, take her to her room and help her with anything she needs for the meeting tonight.” Then, as if remembering something, he added, “And make sure it’s a black dress—decent, unrevealing. Meeting’s at 8:00 p.m. sharp.”
“Yes,” I mumbled, biting back my annoyance.
Kai turned slightly, eyeing me. “Yes what?”
“...Yes, sir,” I said with an eye roll, trying to swallow my irritation. He took a step closer, looking down at me, his gaze sharp.
“You’ve got some attitude problem. But if you’re hoping to survive this, I suggest you lose the attitude. This is the last time I’ll remind you about provoking me.” His voice was calm, almost unnervingly so. “I’ll see you at 8:00.”
He turned and walked away, finally out of sight.
Once I was sure he couldn’t hear, I muttered, “No one tells me what to do, Kai. I’d love to see what you’d do if I didn’t follow your precious orders.”
As Kai’s words lingered, I watched him walk away, I knew I was treading dangerously close to the edge, and yet, i still did not want to lose to him. After a deep breath, I glanced at Carlos, who’d been observing the whole exchange with a mix of concern and curiosity.
“Come on, I’ll show you to your room,” he said, guiding me through the hotel’s luxurious lobby. The interior was breathtakingly extravagant—lavish furnishings, intricate designs, all around an air of elegance that clashed sharply with the dirty conferences that are being held inside.
When we arrived, I stepped into a room that was nothing short of magnificent. The view from the window showcased Mexico City’s glittering skyline, beautiful yet foreign. I felt a quiet unease settle over me. This world was worlds away from my past, and part of me wondered if I was entirely out of my depth.
“Is there anything else you need before the meeting?” Carlos asked, his tone gentle.
I shook my head, my thoughts racing. “No, I think I’m as ready as I can be.”
“If you have any trouble finding a black dress that meets Kai’s standards, let me know.” He winked, holding up Kai’s debit card with a mischievous glint.
“Oh, don’t worry,” I replied with a smirk. “I have the perfect dress that’ll make him proud.” I moved to the window, throwing open the curtains as sunlight spilled into the room. After Carlos left, I flopped down on the king-sized mattress, which was so soft that for a brief moment, I considered staying there and skipping the meeting entirely. But I pushed the thought aside, setting an alarm for 7:00 p.m., just in case.
*************
My alarm buzzed promptly at 7:00, but I found myself hitting the snooze button more than once, each time giving in to the comfort of a few more minutes. I finally woke with a start at 7:45, far later than intended. But I didn’t panic; I moved with a calm, deliberate pace, knowing that it would likely test Kai’s patience. Still, I was certain I needed to make an entrance.
Taking my time, I had a warm shower, letting the water run through my skin before slipping into a pink dress that was sure to catch him off guard. A touch of makeup, a small grin at my own reflection, and I was ready for whatever storm my choices might stir.
As I met my own gaze in the mirror, a smirk curved my lips. “Kai, I might have worn black if you hadn’t ordered me to. I’d choose anything over taking orders from you.”
The clock on the wall read 8:20—twenty minutes late. But I was unfazed. With one last look, I applied gloss to my red lips, grabbed a blue purse, and headed for the conference hall.
As I stepped into the grand meeting hall, my pink dress and yellow heels sparked a ripple through the crowd. A hush fell over the room as Kai’s gaze met mine, his expression was cold as usual, though I caught a flash of anger before he masked it with his usual cold and nonchalant façade. I was the only woman here, and I certainly didn’t blend in. Glances and whispers followed me, curiosity and judgment mixing with what felt like a hint of admiration.
As I sat down, the room felt alive with a quiet, tense energy, and I could feel every eye on me. The murmurs grew louder, almost filling the space, when suddenly Kai’s voice broke through, making everyone fall silent.
"One more word, and you lose your tongue," Kai ordered, his voice soft, almost casual, as if he were giving me a compliment. But the dead silence that fell over the room made it clear that he was anything but pleased.
"Amelia," he addressed me, his voice low, irritation clear—but there was something else in his tone I couldn't quite place. "You're late."
I smirked, unable to resist. "I kinda overslept. My apologies, sir," I replied, letting a hint of sarcasm slip through.
A man’s voice cut through the tension, his tone carrying a confidence that only came from authority. “Who invited this woman? And why is she dressed like that?”
The room seemed to shrink as the tension only got worse. Kai’s face remained unreadable as he answered, "I did. She’s the hacker I recently hired."
The man gave me a once-over, his gaze hardening, and then he turned to Kai again, addressing him with open disdain. “Did you tell her about the rules here?”
Before Kai could answer, I jumped in, unable to help myself. “Oh, he actually did. But, you know, I didn’t have a black dress, and I thought pink doesn’t look bad, does it?”
Kai’s gaze was fixed on me, his expression cold, unimpressed. The man’s fists clenched, and in that instant, my confidence wavered. I’d been so sure of myself, so certain that I knew where the boundaries were with Kai. Carlos had mentioned how valuable I was, how much I meant to Kai’s operations. And I’d assumed that even if I’d angered him, there were limits to what he’d do to me. But i soon found out i was wrong