|| IRIS's POV ||

I was visibly shaking, breaking into cold sweat. The only prayer that I had in my mind was to swallow me whole. Thankfully, he was still on his phone. His British accent sounded pleasing to ears. I wondered how a person could sound and appear sexy at the same time.

As he turned from me, I noticed the tattoo on his neck. It was of a dragon’s head. The tattoo was intricately detailed and the black ink boldly stood out in contrast to his pale skin. It truly looked like a work of art. This man was rightfully nicknamed, “The National Husband”. Not only was he breathtakingly handsome, but his whole persona radiated strength and authority. President Gray’s striking features made it impossible for anyone not to stop and admire him. Even under the white neon lighting, his silhouette resembled that of a Greek god. His dark hair was combed back and a pair of penetrating blue eyes rested under dark defined eyebrows. The sharp and straight nose, along with his chiseled jawline, gave him an aristocratic look. Speaking in a heavy British accent, his thin lips twisted into a frown–conveying extreme displeasure. The navy blue suit he wore increased the domineering air around him. I concluded that his presence resembled that to a king of Hell. Warning bells rang loudly in my head and it felt like this damn elevator wasn't going fast enough.

The elevator stopped somewhere. I attempted to leave without checking the floor. A sharp voice stopped my track, taking my breath away,

" STOP!!"

I shut my eyes off and turned, drooping my head low. His deep icy voice resonated in the small space,

" Who are you? Are you the secretary hired by Scott?"

I nodded weakly, still maintaining a confident feature. The color of his face faded, displeasure taking over his features. He spoke again, pointing at the elevator door,

" Didn't you see before coming into this elevator? Is this how you show your professionalism on the first day of your work?"

I blinked in puzzlement then noticed the bold worded board ' President & Approved official only'. A curse almost left my lips but I swallowed it back, starting to beg quickly,

" I..I am sorry, Mr.President. I was in a hurry. Please discipline me."

He let out a snort, his one hand going down to put the cellphone. As he took a step closer, the scent of his rich cologne washed over me. My heart skipped a bit but his rude tone slapped me back to reality,

" Careful from next time! Otherwise you won't be able to survive more than a week here just like others."

Was he looking down on me?

I hated to be misjudged the most. It was no secret that none of his secretaries made it longer than a week. But I wasn't his other secretary. Lifting my head haughtily, I replied with a confident smirk,

" Don't worry, Mr.President.I am not the girl to give up."

____________

|| XAVIER'S POV ||

I hated troublesome women. I thought that my new secretary was one of them as well especially since she made the mistake on her very first day. My assumption crashed down when she replied on my face, something no secretary had ever done before. Something in her drew my attention to her. She was the first ray of attraction that got my attention.

As I entered the elevator earlier, I was having an urgent meeting with the chief commander. Seeing the small woman, I assumed that she was the secretary Scott had hired for me. But why the hell was she in my elevator? Honestly, I was firmly against hiring a woman from the beginning. However, it was painfully pointed out to me that I needed a female employee to accompany me to certain foreign gatherings, corporate parties and any other functions that required a companion. Scott had hired out a couple of celebrities to join me a few times, but they were all incredibly annoying! I even took steps to ban those girls from even setting a foot into any of my facilities ever again. What I hated most about the whole damn situation is that these women tried to gain my favor by offering to sleep with me. What a joke! After all of that, I avoided women like the plague.

However, a few months ago Scott informed me that my sexual preference was being called into question since I was almost thirty and didn’t have a woman beside me. I had a feeling that my mother was the mastermind behind these baseless rumors. She had been pestering me for almost a year to get married or, at the very least, find a girlfriend and I really haven't felt any attraction towards any woman–until now. Truthfully, I would say this girl looked different from any other woman that I had ever met. Her head barely came up to my shoulders, despite the fact she was wearing heels. When our eyes met, the blush that crept into her cheeks accentuated the green tint in her hazel eyes. She looked ethereal with her wavy hair going past her shoulders, cute turned up nose and small red lips. While wearing a black sleeveless dress that fitted her petite figure, she still maintained her girlish features. To me, her appearance was refreshing. I was immediately drawn to those hazel eyes. She seemed different than all the women who came across me once.

Turning off the thoughts, I headed for my office, trying to think about my upcoming speech until a call broke my attention. Switching on the phone, I saw my father calling who didn't contact us in the last 4 or 6 months possibly. Whenever I needed him, he never appeared on my side. His unexpected call threw my mind into bitter memories, the taunt from people for having no father by my side.

|| IRIS's POV ||

" Tell me! Why should I hire you among all the talented women? You have 3 minutes. Either you continue the job or fail."

The rudeness of his tone gave me the urge to throw my resignation letter at his face right away. I sucked a deep breath, trying to work on my bad temper. A distant voice echoed in my memory, loud and clear,

" Remember! I don't fail in my mission! This mission isn't for the organization. This mission is for me."

That one last sentence hit me hard. Maybe I was fool in love but I wanted to prove myself desperately to him. He sounded so serious when he said those words to me. For the first time, he asked something personal apart from our bloody games and other missions. I worked hard to get into this mission and I wasn't going to back away without completing it.

I blurted with a fake smile, ignoring his burning eyes on me,

" Because I am professional in many sectors. You don't have to bother to find out other people to do your task. I believe that you have studied my history already."

He looked uneasy by my words. It was true that my top-notch grades left no room for arguments. Only god knew how hard it was to fulfill all of his darn requirements. He hummed softly, his eyes reading my CV which I submitted. Throwing the letter in the dustbin, he asked out of nowhere,

" One last question! Who will you save first if one of us falls in danger?"

I held back a ridiculous laugh. Mr.President didn't know that I was the danger that he should get scared of. After taking a few moments, I replied honestly, irritated by his bossy attitude,

" Of course, Me! I am not your bodyguard,Sir. A woman will save herself first unless it's her child."

His gaze narrowed at me for a short moment. Looking back at his laptop, he replied ironically,

" Consider it pass.One mistake and you will be behind the door, Miss Young."

A triumphant smile curved on my lips. Bowing at him shortly out of respect, I walked outside, keeping my head high. Once I was out of everyone's sight, I clicked my phone open to write down a text.

" IT'S DONE!"

For the rest of the day, Mr.Scott explained me all the work ethics. Basically I had no access to Mr.President's personal staffs. This one strict rule reminded me of something interesting.

" Where you are restricted, your answers will be there!"

Artemis said it before sending me here personally. It seemed like Mr.President trusted no one but I was bound to cross the border. I needed time to make him, believing in me.

__________

I headed back to my apartment happily afterwards. It was probably the first mission that I was doing alone. Camila wanted to take this job badly but it required someone to be patient and loyal. I was the right choice for this mission. Staying next to the president wasn't an easy job.

After having dinner, I fell asleep with relief in my heart, hoping to fulfill my mission and leave this city soon. One hour later, my thoughts were lost in my dream. There was a little girl, desperately trying to run away. I saw my mother in my dream, laying on the floor, half naked under a bunch of men. In her weak voice, she made a small sound,

" IRIS...Ru...Run....Run..."

That little girl listened to her mother. Finally she started running through the dark streets, forgetting the fear of dogs that she had once badly.

I woke up with a scream again, gasping for breath. In the whole department, I met the darkness in my heart, tears were already rolling down from my eyes. After a few moments, I finally turned sober. It had been a long time since I saw my mother in my dream. My psychiatrist told me that it was good to forget some certain things. It still pained me to remember that I could do nothing to help her off.

Remembering something, I walked to the closet, picking out my disguised clothes. Thankfully I brought it along with me.

_______

SATIN CEMETERY

" Did you miss me, mama?"

I dropped her favorite white roses on the side, my eyes tearing up. It pained me to think that I wasn't even allowed to visit her grave. Artemis, my one and only sworn brother believed that it was a huge risk. It was the first time that I broke a rule. I couldn't fall asleep after the nightmare again. It felt like my mother was calling me to meet her once. My father didn't play vital role in my life. But it pained me to think that his life was sacrificed as well. In a flash of night, I was left alone in the world. Unfortunately, I had no siblings as well.

Dropping on my knees, I talked to her for a while. Except for the light from the moon and the cold breeze of the cemetery, nothing was my companion. Out of nowhere, I felt a presence in my back. Without turning my head, I could feel the cold aura, coming from my enemy.

Subconsciously I dug my hand down to find my cellphone. Then I remembered my biggest mistake. Due to these unsettled emotions, I left it in my car. Casually, I always got alarmed when an unprepared attack came on my side. Gosh! Couldn't I have a peaceful day? Sometimes it sucked me off to remember that I would never lead a normal life. Whenever I went, the shadows of my enemy would be following me. I thought that it would be safe to come in disguise but their sudden appearance shocked me for real.

Curving my lips into a smirk, I spoke loudly, letting those people know that I was well aware of their existence,

" I hate slow playing the most, buddies!"

|| IRIS's POV ||

Frowning hard, my eyes swept over the unfamiliar black uniforms. The group definitely looked dangerous but they didn’t intimidate me as I was too tired and mentally exhausted. I sighed in exasperation.

“No more today! Please!” I complained to myself.

Where did they all come from anyway? My right hand slowly travelled up to my waistline to pull out my favorite weapon. They were instantly alarmed by my movement.

“Put your down hand little girl. Don't be stupid and follow us quietly.” The leader commanded.

Having a military grade rifle pointed at my head, I decided to lower my hand. I shrugged my shoulders before instinctively bringing my hands together behind my head. At the leader’s command, one of the individuals tied my hands together behind my back before covering my face with a black sheet. They quickly dragged me out of the cemetery, not caring if I tripped on the surrounding tombstones. I felt asphalt under my feet right before they tossed me into a car. Driving at a high speed, despite the heavy rain, I heard a lady’s voice beside me as she called her boss.

“We finally got her and we are the way.” She reported.

“Who was she talking about?” I wondered. “I just arrived in the city a few days ago.”

I hoped it had nothing to do with him.

.....

|| XAVIER'S POV ||

" Surprise, Xavier! Happy Birthday bud!"

Daniel threw his arms cozily. I almost jerked him away since I had no interest in this stupid party. It was my father's plan from the beginning. He called me to remind me that I should celebrate this party with my members. He called it a business, public stunt. In his eyes, it was important to represent a party like a family to the eyes of the public. To be honest, I would have loved to celebrate it possibly if he suggested that I celebrate it as his son, not as the president of USK state.

Other members stood up gradually, wishing happy birthday one after another. I had to wear a fake smile to follow his order. Daniel brought me champagne and muttered to my ears with a grin,

" You look like dead meat. Missing your hot secretary?"

I rolled my eyes at him. The image of that self-stubborn girl lingered in my mind. She was pretty hot today. My wild imagination got interrupted by a phone call. It was from the Mayor of Blueborn City. It seemed odd to get a call from him at this late hour.

As soon as I picked up his phone, a cry broke through the speaker. Mr.Brown who was at my father's age was pleading miserably,

" Xavier! They got...they got my daughter...They want revenge! Please save her..Save her..."

A month ago, we seized a truck of illegal drugs near the border. The information was revealed by an insider. However, I didn't expect the outcome too fast. Kidnapping the Mayor's daughter was too lame for me. I clenched my jaw tight, asking in a growling voice,

" What happened? Tell me everything!"

Mr.Brown told me that he got an anonymous call from an unknown number. The dialer told him that it was his price to assist me. Then his eighteen years old daughter went missing from her grandpa's house. Although he didn't know the man, I didn't even need to investigate who it was.

Rubbing my sore forehead, I assured him, ending the phone call,

" Don't worry, Mr. Mayor. Your daughter will be safe. Just give me some time."

Suddenly a text message appeared on my phone. It was written in sarcasm, using a funny emoji,

" Like my gift?"

My lips twisted in rage. Involving girls into our own personal issues were never for me. I felt sorry for the girl who had to go through this shit at this very young age for her father's loyalty to me. Without answering his reply, I made another call to my best hitman, Michale. Although he was under me, I rarely contacted him. Not everything could be solved through guns and shots.

" Boss!", he spoke in a lazy tone, just had woken up from his sleep possibly. I took a sip from my freshly served wine, ordering after letting out an exhale,

" Head for the south and blow their entire materials out. I want to see the truck burn. Also rescue Mr.Mayor's daughter. That man had made a big move this time."

Michael was silent for a while. He blurted letting out a whine,

" Don't worry! I worked for him for 3 years. I know how to handle the piece of his shit."

I hummed before putting down the phone. I had trust in Michael. He was a man who couldn't be controlled by Money or power. It was a miracle that his father was my teacher back in my childhood. As a family man, he felt devoted to me. It was also surprising that he left that life to be my undercover man. He wanted to live in this city.

Half an hour later, Michael called me again, his tone still sounding lazy. While puffing his smoke out, he explained the whole thing with a yawn,

" Boss, it's done! His 1 billion dollar assets are ashes now. By the way, the girl is saved but harmed a little."

I clenched my jaw in anger. It was never tolerable for me that an innocent one was hurt because of our chaos. After a few more chats with Michael, I ended the call with a happy smile. As soon as I hung up, an unfamiliar number called me again. I picked it up to hear his deeply hated voice,

" Well played, Xavier! Aren't you afraid that I will expose your secret to the whole world? Huh? Do your people know how many people you killed to secure your position?"