I held Sophia's naked body tightly, savoring the warmth of her breath as it finally settled into a steady rhythm against my chest. Last night was my graduation, and she had given me the most precious gift—her trust, her body.
I knew she was still carrying trauma. And yet, she braved it—for me. That alone moved me more deeply than I could express.
I made love to her with utmost gentleness, doing everything I could to minimize her discomfort. She was tense at first, but little by little, she relaxed. She began to enjoy it. Every sigh, every soft moan—it was like music to my ears.
When she reached her climax, I was overwhelmed with emotion. I couldn't hold back and released myself with her.
"Thank you, honey," she whispered, then kissed my jaw.
"It's my pleasure, Pumpkin," I whispered back, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"I never thought it could be that beautiful," she said quietly.
I raised my head to meet her eyes and smiled at her tenderly.
"It will always be beautiful from now on, Pumpkin. I promise you that."
We kissed, long and deep, then pulled each other closer. We stayed wrapped in that embrace until we fell asleep.
Unfortunately, that perfect night was shattered by a phone call at 3 a.m.
"Yes?" I answered, groggy.
"Hello, Iggy. How's your vacation?" came the fake-friendly voice of my supervisor.
"What do you want?" I muttered, clearly annoyed.
"Nothing. Just a reminder—your leave ends in a week," she said, then hung up.
-
A week later, I left for the headquarters. I told Sophia I was going to a job interview out of town for a couple of days. In truth, I was returning to my real job.
"Come in, Iggy," my supervisor called from inside her office after her P.A. informed her of my arrival.
I entered the large, majestic room. Like the corridors I had walked through, it was styled to resemble a Victorian castle. I had heard the estate was a gift from the Lord of the Central Kingdom chapter.
"How are you, my favorite man?" she greeted with a sly smile. But then her eyes narrowed. "Wait… why are you still wearing that black mask?"
Without waiting for my reply, she turned to her P.A.
"Zack, get him a silver mask."
She wore a gold mask, signifying her position as the highest rank in the chapter. Only Lords or Ladies could wear gold.
"No need," I said, refusing quietly.
"What do you mean 'no need'? You earned it. We worked hard to reach this level. And now that I've made it to the top, do you think I'd forget you?"
Her tone didn't leave room for argument.
So I accepted the silver mask Zack handed me and replaced my old black one.
-
I began my first mission that same day.
I told Sophia I got the job, and my boss wanted me to jump right into an urgent project. I said I might be gone longer than planned. She didn't mind. She was thrilled to hear I was employed and praised me over and over—completely unaware that inside, I was breaking from the lies I had to tell her.
You already know what I was—an executor.
My job was to carry out missions assigned by the leader and crafted by a strategist. My supervisor had once been my strategist, but now that she led the chapter, I worked under someone else, still executing her personal directives.
Most of my missions were about elimination. There were many who supported me behind the scenes, but I worked alone on the front lines. I was known as a one-man show.
My methods varied—sniping, bombing, poisoning, staged accidents—as well as close contact kills.
I had a reputation: cold-blooded.
I could kill a pregnant woman, even if she cried and begged on her knees. I could silence children who witnessed my actions. These situations were rare, of course—because I was always careful, always meticulous.
That was before I met Sophia.
After her, I changed—at least inside.
I still completed my missions, but I did so with a heavy heart. Her sad, lifeless expression haunted me constantly. I could barely sleep—except when I was drunk or wrapped in Sophia's arms.
That's why I always rushed back to her town the moment my missions ended. I didn't care how late it was, or how bad the weather got—I always came home to Sophia.
She was my only peace.
-
"When are you leaving for your new project?" Sophia asked in a whisper, her finger trailing gently down my back.
I pulled my head back to look at her. "Why? You tired of me already?" I teased, pouting dramatically.
Sophia giggled and kissed my nose. "When would I ever get tired of you, Darling?"
"Reaaally?" I acted unconvinced, still playing.
She nodded, then her expression softened. "I'm afraid you're the one who'll get tired of me... forget about me."
I kissed her pouty lips. "Never."
"I won't either," she said, making her own promise.
I kissed her again, this time with more intensity. She returned it just as passionately. Before long, we found ourselves wrapped up in our second time together that night.
"I love you, Sophia... I love you," I whispered in her ear, my voice breathless with emotion.
"I love you, Tom... I love you so much," she whispered back between soft gasps.
We reached our release together, holding each other through the waves of pleasure and tenderness. As I kissed the top of her head, my heart overflowing, I finally said what I'd been holding back for far too long.
"Marry me, Sophia. Please..."
I knew it wasn't the most traditional moment to propose—but it was sincere. It came from the deepest part of me. I couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Yes," she answered without hesitation. She kissed me again. "Yes, I want to marry you, Tom."
My heart soared. In that moment, everything else vanished—my job, my past, the truth I was afraid to tell her. None of it mattered. I was going to marry this woman. Whatever it took.
-
I stood in front of the French doors, hesitating before knocking. Yesterday, my supervisor's P.A. told me she wanted to see me. I already knew what it was about.
Two weeks ago, I sent her my resignation letter. From what I'd heard, no one had ever resigned from the organization. Not a single person. So yes—I was nervous.
"Come in," her voice called from inside.
I opened the door and stepped into her office. She sat behind her desk, staring at me with that signature unreadable look.
"What were you thinking, sending me this bullshit?" she asked bluntly. She didn't even offer me a seat.
"I... I want to retire," I stammered.
"Why?"
"I want to get married. I want to have a family..."
"You don't have to retire to have a family—"
"Not if it means lying to them for the rest of my life!" I cut her off before I could stop myself.
She narrowed her eyes in warning. I immediately lowered my head. "Sorry..."
She sighed. "Do you think you can resign?" she asked slowly, emphasizing the word like I was too stupid to grasp the concept.
I couldn't answer—only swallowed hard.
She gave a small laugh, then reached for the letter on her desk. As her eyes locked onto mine, she slowly tore the paper in half.
"The only time you can resign from this organization, Iggy, is when you're dead."
She tossed the shreds of paper into the trash can.
My heart shattered with every rip. I struggled to hold back tears.
"And you know," she continued coldly, "you have to stay alive if you want to start a family... Right, Iggy?"
-
"Why do you have to go for so long this time?" Sophia asked. This time, her pout wasn't playful—it was real, and it was valid.
I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close. "This project's different. It's worth millions. The biggest job my company's ever had. Only their best people were chosen to handle it. And the bonus... it's going to be big," I said, lying through my teeth.
"I don't need money. I just need you," she said, her voice small, her pout still there.
I kissed the top of her head. "I know, Pumpkin. But I need the money..."
"For what?"
"To buy our dream house."
Her eyes widened with excitement. She turned to face me completely. "Our dream house?" she whispered, her voice lighting up.
I nodded. "It's beautiful. White fence, big porch, wide backyard..."
Her eyes sparkled. "Where is it?"
"It'll be a surprise," I said, tapping her nose gently. "I just hope you don't mind moving. It's a quiet, friendly town. I promise you'll love it."
She shook her head. "I don't care where it is. As long as I'm with you, anywhere is perfect."
I kissed her again, full of love.
"Wait for me, Sophia Sawyer. When I come back, we'll get married and live in our dream house. We'll start the life we've always wanted."
She looked at me with those adoring eyes and nodded. "I'll wait for you. No matter how long it takes."
We kissed again, sealing our promise.