Everyone in the mercenary team knew one thing: Gale Holden was utterly devoted to me, to the point where my absence was his greatest fear.

To give me a sense of security, he locked himself up—figuratively and literally. Even in the middle of firefights, with bullets raining down, he would check in to reassure me.

Out of concern for him, I kept my true identity a secret and joined the team as their strategist. But after one successful mission, I overheard the team joking around.

“Captain was in such a rush to get outta here just to see Flossie. Is she that irresistible?”

I forgot to turn off the body camera on Gale. He laughed and casually said, “I used up seven boxes last time. What do you think?”

My whole world froze. My chest tightened and I couldn’t breathe. A cold wave of shock washed over me.

Desperate to get away from the agony, I called on the system.

“System, I want to leave this world.”

The system's voice was cold and mechanical.

[Upon departure, all traces of the host will be erased.]

[Countdown: 7 days]

——

When I snapped back to reality, the monitor was still on. Gale had no idea what he'd just said.

On the screen, his attention was all on Flossie Dixon, his hands all over her as he kissed her like there was no tomorrow.

“Did you know how much I’ve missed you, my little temptress?”

I stayed frozen, pale as a ghost, my hands balled into fists. My chest felt like it was caving in. I couldn’t believe I was actually sitting there, watching this. It was like I was torturing myself.

The villa they were in had once been our home. The place where I’d been kidnapped and tortured. I promised myself I’d never set foot there again, yet Gale had turned it into their hideaway—a secret love nest for him and his affair.

Hours passed and only in the dead of night did their passion finally die down.

“So, who makes you feel better in bed? Me or your wife?” Flossie teased, her voice low and sultry. I could practically hear the smugness dripping from her.

Gale smirked coldly, running his fingers through her hair. “Don’t even try to compare yourself to her. You’re not worthy.”

His words cut like a knife. My heart twisted, but Flossie’s face fell. Tears started streaming down her face, but Gale didn’t budge. His voice stayed cold.

“I don’t wanna to hurt her. That’s the only reason you’re here. Takes all the senselessness out of your head.”

Gale never knew how to hold back. He always took me roughly whenever he came back from a mission. With his big hands and insane strength, there was no way he could touch me without causing pain.

“I won’t let her feel an ounce of pain. That’s the only reason you’re here.”

His words struck me like a dagger. Yet, Flossie smiled. The next sound I heard was Gale taking her roughly. Flossie, who had initially been enjoying it, was now begging him to go slower. But Gale didn’t care. He kept going, ignoring her pleas until they became nothing more than whispers.

“Three days from now is her birthday. I need time to prepare. Don’t contact me until then,” he warned her sternly before leaving.

Yet barely an hour after he walked out of the villa, my phone buzzed with messages from Flossie.

“Gale just left. He really wore me out. I’m just like a wet rag right now.”

Then she added, “You don’t mind cleaning up his mess, do you, Alex? Since you have a cleaning company?”

I clenched my jaw, my fingers trembling as I read her texts. I did have a cleaning service, but that was just a cover. No one knew that I was their strategist. She sent photos next—a messy room littered with contraceptive wrappers, torn lingerie scattered across the floor.

The sight made my stomach churn. Pain stabbed at my heart, but I forced myself to stay calm. I couldn’t let her provoke me. With shaking hands, I exported the surveillance footage. My nails dug into my palms as I gripped the USB drive, trying to ground myself.

Just then, Gale called me. His deep, honeyed voice resonated in my ears, soft and familiar.

“Baby, I’m on my way home. Be there in a minute.”

His words would’ve once melted me, but now they brought only nausea. My mind replayed his voice calling Flossie vile, degrading names while telling her to get down on him.

The memory made me gag and I couldn’t hold it back. I barely made it to the sink before retching, my body trembling uncontrollably.

I heard Gale calling me. He sounded worried and said he’d speed up his drive. True to his word, he arrived within minutes, just after I’d removed the USB from my computer.

“Baby!” Gale stormed into the house. The smell of his struggle hit my nose first and I gagged again.

As he approached, I pushed him away. “It's probably just a stomachache,” I said nonchalantly, giving him a reason not to get closer. But he took it seriously.

His brows furrowed with concern and without hesitation, he scooped me into his arms and carried me to the bedroom.

Minutes later, he returned with honey water and stomach medicine, his hands gentle as he helped me sit up.

“What would you do if I’m not around? You can’t even take care of yourself,” he muttered, sounding more like a scolding than a statement, but I could hear the pain in his voice.

I said nothing, feigning exhaustion.

Gale spent hours massaging my stomach, his gaze never leaving my face. His dedication was unwavering, but I couldn’t shake the memory of him with Flossie.

Sleep enveloped me and I barely managed to keep my eyes open.

The faint chime of a notification broke the silence.

Gale’s hand immediately dropped away and before I could react, he snatched his phone from the bedside table and opened the message.

“Gale, my underwear is missing. Again.” The voice note continued, Flossie’s tone sultry and teasing. “I know you’re really into lace, but you can’t just take them with you and leave me with nothing to wear.”

The voice note ended abruptly.

Gale froze, his breath hitching as he glanced at me, panic all over his face.

When he realized I wasn’t reacting, he let out a shaky breath of relief, clutching his phone tightly as he slipped onto the bedroom balcony to make a call.

“I told you not to call me, didn’t I?” he hissed.

Flossie’s laugh drifted through the crack in the door, smooth and full of mischief. “You ripped almost all my underwear. I haven’t even had a chance to buy new ones.”

Her voice dipped lower, practically purring. “What do you want me to do—go without it?”

Gale’s breathing turned heavier and I could hear the strain in his voice. “I’ll bring you some tomorrow.”

My fingers curled into the bedsheets, tears soaking into my pillow as I tried to calm the storm in my chest.

“It’s fine,” I told myself. Just seven more days. Seven days and I’ll be gone. After that, Gale could search the ends of the earth, but he’d never find me again.

With that thought, I let exhaustion take over and drifted into an uneasy sleep.

The next morning, I woke to the smell of something warm and familiar. Gale had already made congee. He brought the bowl to me, his expression soft with concern.

“Is it hurt so much? You cried yourself to sleep last night,” he murmured, brushing his thumb over the corner of my eye where the redness lingered.

He reached for the bowl to feed me, but I pulled back slightly, the pit of unease in my stomach twisting tighter.

Just then, a notification popped up on his phone.

I caught a glimpse of it before he snatched it, covering the screen with his hand.

[Flossie: I’m in the dressing room at the mall. You’ve got 15 minutes before I changed my mind.]

The vein on his temple pulsed as he pressed the phone against his palm, locking the screen.

“Baby, there’s some loose ends from my last job I need to deal with.” His tone was smooth, almost too casual. “I promise it won’t get in the way of your birthday.”

As a tactician, I knew better. There were no “loose ends” left to tie up.

His throat bobbed—an obvious tell. I watched him fidget in his seat, the tension radiating off him.

I buried my disgust and forced a smile. “It’s okay. Go. Work’s important.”

His relief was immediate. He stood quickly, grabbing his jacket.

“I’ll be back soon,” he promised.

But I knew the truth. He couldn’t resist whatever pull she had on him. Just as I expected, he barely came home over the next three days.

Honestly, it was for the best. I had things to take care of, like editing the video.

As I wrapped up, a text from Flossie popped up on my screen.

[He’s baking you a birthday cake, but all the cream ended up on me.]

[Hope you don’t mind?]

Before I could respond, another message came through—a video this time.

It showed Gale, lips curling as he licked whipped cream clean in a way that made my stomach churn. I didn’t reply. Instead, I opened my system panel and checked the countdown.

[Countdown: 4 days]

That night was my birthday party.

I wasn’t in the mood to celebrate, but I went anyway. I didn’t want Gale to suspect anything.

By the time the sun had set, Gale was waiting outside to drive me to the venue.

“Here comes, the start of the show!”

“Welcome, Alex!”

His teammates greeted me with wide smiles, their voices full of respect as I walked in.

Gale handed me a small box, his grin confident. Inside was a ring made from bone—his pinky bone, to be exact. Dropping to one knee, he gently kissed the back of my hand.

“Baby, I’ve made up my mind. After this last job, I’m done. We’ll finally have the quiet, happy life you’ve always wanted.”

For years, Gale had danced on the edge of danger. Every birthday, my wish had been for him to leave this life behind.

Now that it was finally happening, I felt… nothing. No joy. No relief.

I glanced at the ring but didn’t put it on. Instead, I gave him a small smile. “Good.”

I’d see him through this last job.

Then, I’d close the book on us—for good.

The lively atmosphere of the party was filled with Gale's deep voice serenading me with a love song. His gaze never wavered, locking onto mine like I was the only person in the room.

As the song ended, a knock sounded at the door, breaking the moment.

Gale, being the closest, stood up to answer.

So when he asked for permission, I let him go without giving it too much thought. As a good friend, his team members helped, trying to cover for him. They turned up the music and whispered to each other.

“Captain really likes her, doesn’t he? From the way things are going, it seems like they’re going to go all night.”

“Flossie is wild. I’m kind of worried if the captain can keep up with her.”

I had no interest in indulging in their chatter and wasting time there. After grabbing my wallet, I quietly left the room.

As I passed by the bathroom, I overheard people teasing each other.

“Did you bring that ring made from your pinky bone?”

“If you want, I can put it in.”

Gale’s voice followed, low and gravelly. “You little slut.”

The next words were unfit to hear, making my stomach churn.

What followed made my stomach churn, the noises too explicit to endure.

I stepped outside into the cold night air.

The sharp breeze cleared my head a little as I pressed my hand against my aching chest.

I wandered aimlessly for a while, finally stopping by the river.

The clock on my phone read 12:00 AM.

“Happy birthday, Alex,” I whispered to myself.

I faced the moon, clasped my hands together and silently prayed. My birthday wish this year was to leave this world soon.

[Countdown: 3 days]

At exactly midnight, Gale returned. He left the limp Flossie behind to watch me blow out the candles. But when he came back and didn’t find me, he panicked, searching everywhere.

“Baby,” a hoarse voice called from behind me.

I turned around to find Gale standing there, sweat glistening on his neck, his red-rimmed eyes filled with panic.

“Why did you leave the party and go off on your own?” Then he glanced to the side and added, “Do you like the view by the river? How about we celebrate your birthday here next time? Would you like that?”

I just stared at him, not saying a word.

“Baby…” he said, his voice trailing off.

His face paled. Gale Holden, a hitman with countless lives on his conscience, was scared. It was obvious, but he wouldn’t admit it and he wasn’t willing to risk explaining and making a slip-up.

Finally, I gave him a soft smile. “Alright.”

That one word was enough to make him exhale in relief. Gale pulled me into a tight embrace.

“Don’t disappear like that again, baby. I swear, I’ll lose my mind.”

I patted his back lightly, signaling him to let me go.

“You’ve got a mission tomorrow. Let’s go home.”

This mission was set in a dense rainforest, notorious for its danger. No one else dared take it, but Gale was willing to risk it for the hefty payout. Back home, while adjusting the surveillance feeds, an unexpected figure appeared on the screen.

Flossie. Gale had taken her to the rainforest with him. The two of them stuck together like conjoined twins, inseparable the whole time.

“Gale, I’ll wait for you,” she said, her voice dripping with anticipation.

“After it’s over, we can have some fun in the water.”

I stared at the screen, stunned by the absurdity of it all.

Gale narrowed his eyes at her. “Stay hidden,” he warned, his tone sharp.

Then, just like that, he switched into combat mode.

“Daisy.”

His voice over the comm snapped me out of my thoughts.

I activated the voice changer. “I’m here. All units on standby.”

Time ticked by and soon the screen in front of me lit up with a familiar prompt.

[Countdown: 2 days]

“Commence operation,” I instructed, my voice steady.

“Repeat mission directive: Eliminate the fugitive known as ‘Snakeback.’”