The next seven chapters will be in Mr. McCourtney's point of view.
One undeniable truth about me is that I loved Sophia. From the moment I first saw her, I loved her. That part wasn't a lie. What I never told her, though, was exactly when that moment happened.
I first saw Sophia when she stepped out of a taxi in front of her house. She had just returned home for the holidays after her first year of college. I still remember what she was wearing—a yellow fur-lined jacket and green faux leather pants. Large, circular earrings peeked through her curly brown hair whenever she moved.
But it wasn't her outfit that captivated me.
It was her face.
Her face was radiant, bright, breathtaking. Her wide smile radiated warmth, bringing an instant wave of happiness that shook my heart.
Sophia called out joyfully to her parents as she dragged her large suitcase behind her. A moment later, her mother appeared. Without hesitation, Sophia dropped her luggage and ran into her mother's arms, hugging her tightly, as if trying to release all the longing she had carried throughout the semester.
Then, when she saw a middle-aged man standing at the front door, she exclaimed excitedly,
"Daddy!!"
She rushed toward him, wrapping her arms around him as he laughed, pure joy in his voice. He kissed the top of her head with undeniable love.
I lowered my binoculars.
That heartwarming scene unsettled me in a way I couldn't explain. I exhaled heavily, started the engine of my car, and drove away.
The next day of my surveillance, I followed Sophia and her father to a supermarket. But something unexpected happened.
I got distracted.
Subconsciously, my attention drifted away from her father—my actual target. Instead, I found myself fixated on her. Watching her every movement. Studying her expressions. Taking in the way she carried herself.
And the more I watched her, the deeper I fell in love.
It was Christmas Eve.
For me, that night was supposed to be D-Day.
I had spent an entire week carefully observing their routines. Tonight was the perfect time to carry out my execution.
But I wasn't just nervous.
This time, I hesitated.
Once again, I peered through my special binoculars—the ones that allowed me to see through brick and drywall.
Inside, the Sawyer family was gathered for Christmas dinner.
Sophia was talking animatedly—about her college experiences, her new friends, her dormitory, and countless little things that filled her life with joy. She was so full of life.
And then, a horrifying thought struck me.
I imagined what her face would look like the next morning when she found her parents' lifeless, bloodied bodies.
The image sent a chill down my spine.
I shook my head, trying to rid myself of the vivid, gut-wrenching vision.
But it wouldn't leave.
It clung to me.
It was as if her devastated, traumatized face had already imprinted itself on my heart, refusing to let go.
"Damn it!!"
I slammed my fist against the steering wheel, frustration burning inside me.
I was furious—furious at myself for falling for her so easily. Furious because I had let love interfere with my mission. Furious because I couldn't bear to break her.
I was so in love with Sophia that I couldn't go through with it.
I was so in love that I made my decision right then and there.
I abandoned my mission.
I gripped the wheel, my knuckles turning white—then I stepped on the gas, driving away from the neighborhood, leaving behind everything I had planned.
-
Of course, my emotional decision caused a major uproar from my supervisor.
"I trusted you, Iggy," she hissed, her voice laced with fury.
"You knew how important this mission was—to me, to us. If you had completed it, we would have climbed straight to the top. No one else knew about this opportunity—this was our chance. And you ruined it because of… what… love?"
I remained silent.
Honestly, aside from lacking the energy to respond after being electrocuted three times in a row, I had no valid defense. This was entirely my fault. I had let my heart lead me astray.
After nearly ten minutes of tense silence, she finally spoke again.
"I'll give you another chance," she said.
I lifted my head slightly, glancing at her.
"A month. That's your deadline," she continued coldly. "If you fail, you might as well kill yourself—because what I'll do to you will be much worse."
I knew she was being merciful. Other executors were never granted a second chance.
So, I simply nodded in agreement.
-
Since I had one month, I decided to delay the execution until Sophia returned to her dormitory.
At the very least, this way, she wouldn't be traumatized by witnessing her parents' deaths firsthand.
Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer were the leaders of the anti-nuclear plant movement that had gained momentum after the Chernobyl disaster. However, they operated anonymously. Not even their own members knew their true identities.
But my supervisor had her own informant—one who provided undeniable proof that this couple was at the helm of the movement.
Eliminating them would be a major win for our organization. After all, nuclear plant development was one of our key objectives.
-
The Sawyers had just returned home after dropping off Sophia at her college.
I waited patiently, watching their house from my car, until all the lights inside went out.
An hour later, I finally moved.
Silently, I stepped out of my car and made my way toward the garage.
From my pocket, I pulled out a small remote control—a duplicate of their garage door opener. A week ago, I had stolen the original and cloned it.
The garage door lifted smoothly.
Slipping inside, I left the door slightly ajar before moving to the wall where their car keys hung alongside the others. I grabbed the correct set and made my way back to the vehicle.
I slid into the driver's seat and started the engine.
The car's engine wasn't exactly silent—but that didn't matter.
Nothing would wake the Sawyers at this point.
While they were away, I had switched out their nightly high-blood pressure medication with a high dose of sleeping pills.
Mrs. Sawyer had a routine—every night, she would set out both her and her husband's medications on their bedside table. All I had to do was swap out the pills.
Now, they were in a deep, irreversible sleep.
After making sure everything was set, I stepped out of the garage, closed the door with the remote, and exhaled deeply.
Then, I walked back to my own car and drove away.
This was the least cruel execution method I could arrange for the Sawyers.
Instead of meeting a violent, gruesome death, they would pass away peacefully in their sleep, succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning from their running car.
Sure, it was more complicated than simply putting a bullet in their heads. But at least this way, Sophia's trauma would be minimized.
And for her… I didn't mind going the extra mile.
I did it out of love for Sophia.