Black Puma was rciless and ruthless. The mont his n pinpointed the exact location of their enemies in the forest, he gave the order without hesitation. Gunfire erupted, raining bullets down on the trees as his forces unleashed a relentless assault.
One by one, those hiding in the forest fell like flies, their desperate attempts to escape proving futile. For a full five minutes, the barrage continued without pause. Only when silence finally settled did his n cease fire. Above, helicopters circled the area, scanning for any survivors who might have managed to cling to life.
"Make sure everyone is dead. And once you’re done, don’t forget to send the man’s head to their leader—with a ssage that he’s next," Black Puma ordered as he rose from his position.
His eyes were dark and abyssal, filled with cold indifference and murderous intent. As he strode forward with unwavering confidence, an eerie chill spread through the air, making those around him shudder. He radiated the aura of death itself.
As Black Puma was about to board the nearest jeep that had stopped in front of him, his body suddenly swayed without warning. His limbs went limp, and he teetered to the side, on the verge of collapsing.
The man behind him panicked, reacting instantly—he dove forward, arms outstretched, catching Black Puma just in ti. His own body scraped against the rough ground, leaving him covered in scratches, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was preventing Black Puma’s head from hitting the ground.
"Shit! The rest of you, finish the job here and don’t forget the boss’s orders! The other half, co with and escort the boss back to the city!" the man barked.
By the ti their skirmish had ended, dawn was already breaking. A figure inside the jeep imdiately jumped out, rushing to administer first aid. Black Puma’s n nearly fell into disarray, but they held themselves together, maintaining their composure while silently praying that his condition wasn’t critical.
"He’s been shot! Hurry to the safe house—we need to remove the bullets imdiately!" the female doctor ordered, pressing firmly on Black Puma’s shoulder and side.
During the gunfight, he had taken two hits—one in the shoulder and another in his side—but he had fought and moved as if unfazed. However, he was still human.
No matter how much he ignored the pain and blood loss, his body had its limits. Before he could even reach a safe place to tend to his wounds, his strength gave out, and he lost consciousness.
Now that he was losing blood fast, the people around him wasted no ti. They quickly made their way to a clearing, where the jeep ca to a halt. One of the helicopters trailing them descended, and as soon as it touched down, a team disembarked.
The female doctor, along with Black Puma’s most trusted people, carefully lifted him onto a stretcher from the helicopter and carried him aboard.
The newcors from the helicopter took over the jeep, while the doctor, Black Puma, and a select few boarded the helicopter, heading straight for their safe house. No one hesitated—every second counted as they rushed to save him.
When morning ca, Hera slowly woke up. Zhane and the others were still sleeping peacefully beside her, with Zhane holding her close. Although her body felt a little stiff from staying in the sa position all night, the crisp scent of Zhane carried a soothing quality that made her rest peaceful.
As soon as she was fully awake, she gently pried Zhane’s hand away and stretched her limbs. Turning back, she glanced at the sleeping faces of the n beside her. At so point, without even realizing it, their presence had beco a natural part of her life—a quiet warmth that had seamlessly settled into her heart.
A soft smile played on her lips as she admired their peaceful expressions for a mont longer before finally making her way to the bathroom to wash up.
As soon as Hera stepped into the bathroom, Dave cracked open his eyes and whispered with a smirk, "I knew it—she’s taken with my handso face." His voice was still husky from sleep, and his eyes were slightly red from just waking up.
In truth, he and the others had been awake before Hera, but none of them had wanted to get up just yet. Instead, they had silently watched her sleep, smiling at the peaceful expression on her face. Without realizing it, ti had slipped by. Dave had been absentmindedly twirling a lock of Hera’s hair between his fingers, enjoying the quiet mont.
When they sensed that she was about to wake up, they quickly returned to their previous positions, feigning sleep until she finally got up and headed to the bathroom. Only then did they open their eyes, their amusent lingering in the air.
"You’re too narcissistic for soone with no real ability," Rafael said with a smug grin. His words carried a teasing edge—Dave was full of himself, yet unlike the rest of them, he still hadn’t managed to make a move to get closer to Hera and be intimate with her. In the end, all he could do was lick his wounds like the loser he was.
Dave felt personally attacked by Rafael’s backhanded comnt, his pride taking a direct hit. Shooting Rafael a glare, he retorted, "Just you wait! When the ti cos and I make love to my sweetheart, I’ll make sure it’s so unforgettable that she’ll forget all about her first ti with you. Asshole!"
With that, he jumped out of bed, storming off toward the guest room to wash up and change—determined to co out at the sa ti as Hera.
"What’s the point of always bullying Dave? He’s already insecure enough about not making any progress. Keep it up, and you might end up paying for it sooner or later," Zhane said as he slowly propped himself up. As the one who naturally took on the role of the older brother in their group, he had every right to reprimand Rafael for pushing too far.
Luke, who had been silent all this ti, finally spoke. "Let him be. Sotis, what Dave needs is a little provocation—a push to make him act on what he truly wants. He might seem fearless and strong, but in reality, he’s the most innocent among us. He’s probably still feeling insecure and hesitant. Let Rafael taunt him. Maybe then, he’ll stop overthinking and just take the leap."
Although Rafael’s words were harsh and stung to hear, he genuinely wanted to help Dave in his own way. Of course, a part of him enjoyed the idea that with Dave holding back, there would be one less competitor vying for Hera’s ti. But deep down, he still considered Dave a friend, and this was his way of giving him a nudge forward.
Dave might co across as a mischievous daredevil, but in truth, he was like a little puppy taking his first steps—still in need of guidance. But who were they? They were both his friends and his rivals in love. While they might help him, they certainly wouldn’t make it easy for him, just as they weren’t doing now.
Rafael chuckled to himself as he watched Dave scurry away with his tail tucked between his legs. Amused and in high spirits, he stretched before making his way out to wash up and get dressed.
Zhane shook his head as he observed the childish antics of the n around him. He still couldn’t believe he was friends with such immature people, but in the end, he let them be and made his way out as well.
By the ti Hera stepped out of the bathroom after washing up, Zhane, Dave, Rafael, and Luke had already returned to her room, now dressed in fresh clothes. It was then that Hera realized—they must have already moved their wardrobes into her place, allowing them to change outfits whenever they pleased. Her guest rooms were probably filled with their belongings by now, and she suspected Amy had already helped them settle in without her even noticing.
Helplessly shaking her head, Hera decided to head downstairs for a morning run. As expected, the four n followed her to the elevator, out into the garden, and ran alongside her for a full hour.
After finishing their run, before returning to the penthouse, Hera made her way to the duck house behind the garden. Cindy had built it for her to house the ducks and chickens she had received from the villagers during her first variety show.
The ducks and chickens looked plump and healthy, their feathers shining under the morning sun. The caretaker, dressed in a jumpsuit and a farr’s hat, was currently feeding the ducks, his movents steady and practiced.
The fresh eggs from the ducks and chickens were regularly delivered to Hera’s penthouse, where Hannah often used them for breakfast and desserts. Their freshness made the als taste even better.
Hera glanced around for a mont, satisfied with what she saw, then decided to return with a smile. As she made her way back upstairs, she carried a basket filled with freshly gathered eggs.
"Sweetheart, let carry that for you," Dave offered, reaching out to take the basket from her hands.
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