It was 7 in the morning. The loud noise coming from the television woke her up. She walked up to the bathroom as the reporter continued the daily news. "The famous big shot, Mr. Hale, was found dead inside his own house. Police are suspecting that it was plotted by someone from the opponent group." "Opponent group? Heh! They're just a bunch of balds. If it weren't for them making a deal with us for a huge sum of money, I would've crushed their eyeballs and drowned them in the middle of the Pacific Ocean." She scoffed and walked towards her kitchen, only to find an empty refrigerator. "Is this what we call being broke while being rich?" She sighed in disappointment as she closed her refrigerator and checked the cabinets nearby to see if there were any snacks left. Luckily, she found a pack of bread with a jar of jam. "An expired one!?" She was irritated, but her stomach was growling. She threw the jam in the bin and sat down on her couch. "It's Nyx news!" A reporter shouted with great passion. "Ah! Look at him. He's so into his job, maybe it's his first time. But how come I've never seen this news before?" She slowly turned her head toward her clock. "Shit, the meeting," she said to herself, tossed her bread away, and got ready. Huffing and panting, she somehow reached her headquarters before the meeting started.

As she was trying hard to catch her breath, a girl leaned near the entrance door and spoke, "Let me guess, no proper food or sleep, must've stayed up all night with your sniper games and all you want now is a comfy bed and a gaming setup, right?" "You know me too well, bestie." She looked down as her stomach growled. The girl giggled, took her hand and dragged her to the cafeteria. "My treat!" the girl said it with a bright smile on her face. Until a tall handsome man walked in, and the people started to whisper while looking at him. Some couldn't take their eyes off him while others couldn't even look at him properly, as their hearts couldn't stand his gorgeous face and his bossy, seductive aura. He walked towards the girls and took a seat in front of them. "hey Stacy! my beautiful" he winked at her. The girl chuckled and playfully winked back. "And a starving panda bedside her" he added while staring at the other girl. She groaned as she leaned on the table. "Couples here, couples there, couples everywhere" she said while rolling her eyes with an unimpressed mocking tone. "Oh! Don't tell me the so-called saintess is finally feeling needy and lonely" he joked. She hit his head and replied "Shut the hell up, Joe."

Stacy and Joe started laughing at her, then a man rushed over towards Joe and whispered something. His expression turned serious as he spoke. He stood up and said "Boss has summoned us three to the conference". "Why?" Stacy asked. "We'll know when we get there." She stood up with an annoyed face.

                                                              ------------In the meeting room----------

All were engaged in the conference as they entered the room. One of the men knelt down and informed boss Fu in a whisper about their arrival. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present you the Gem of Black Wolf," the boss said as he got up. The doors flung wide open. Stacy and Joe moved forward and took positions close to their assigned seats. Within a short while A stunning woman entered the room with two men in black suits, marching up to the door as she motioned for them both to have a seat. She then sat down next to her best friend Stacy and cockily stacked her legs up on the table. She scrolled on her phone and said, "You can go on."

An old man whispered a bit loudly "How arrogant! How on earth can he allow someone like her in here? Does she even understand what politeness and modesty are?"

She rose up right away, got up from the table, and walked up to him. "The question is, Do you know?" She firmly gripped his shoulder while glaring at him deathly, saying, "How about minding your own business? Be aware that you are in my domain." She bent down, a malicious grin on her face, "I can choke you to death right now". Everyone gulped in silence as they watched helplessly as the old man shuddered.

The members in attendance were speechless due to shock. It was silent until one of them spoke, "No wonder Boss Fu claimed you're one of a kind. It makes sense why Boss Fu described you as remarkable. Although it's an honor to meet you, I have yet to learn your name. I can take you to lunch today, gorgeous, if that's okay with you." A man smiled gently as he said it. "I'm not interested in ugly looking men," she responded with a hostile smile.

"Moreover," she was ready to continue until the boss interrupted. "That's all, my gem. No one will bother you now." The old man exhaled in relief as she quietly returned to her seat and mumbled, "Tsk, so annoying." "I'm not done playing with you yet." she says while she continues to scroll through her phone. Immediately, the old man rose to his feet, bowed to boss Fu, and said, "Boss, I'll take my leave for the time being as I'm feeling unwell. Without a doubt, I'll attend the next discussions." After saying this, he made his way towards the door.

"Boss, aren't you kind enough to welcome such coward dog inside?" She asked in a humorous way. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm very honored to introduce you to our pride of the organization, Ruby," he stated with a chuckle. "The most talented and skilled assassin in the world, who never failed a task." She took a seat and didn't give a damn about what he said as everyone began to applaud. When Boss Fu saw her egotistical response, he made an angry false smile and told them to carry on with the discussion. He adjourned the meeting and sent everyone away.

"Finally! We're free to return home," Ruby yawned as she said this. "Yeah yeah" You've done a great job scaring the shit out of the old man after all," Stacy replied and sighed as she knew Ruby enjoyed playing with people who showed signs of fear. "Yes, but isn't it a little over board?"Joe asked while trying to act humorous, but inside he was boiling with resentment since she repeatedly displayed her authority in this way and caused him to doubt his own contribution to the company. "Joe, all I was trying to do was put him in his place. How dare he object my presence in the meeting." While scrolling through her phone, she stated this

Ruby glanced at Joe, who was doing his best to fake a smile. "Oh, don't tell me you're jealous," she added, as if she was trying to irritate him. "What nonsense, Ruby? We work as a unit." Stacy said, who was clueless that a intense environment had developed. They soon arrived at the exit and parted their ways.

Ruby stopped at a convenience store on her way home. She accidentally bumped into a man while shopping, and the man dropped his groceries. Ruby bent down to assist him right away. "Are you alright?" he asked. She handed him his belongings without saying a word, then turned and left. The guy gave her a long look before walking away. She returned home after completing her shopping.

                                                                   ---------------Next Day----------------

Ruby arrived at the headquarters the following day and wasn't doing anything productive. "The boss wishes to see you," one of boss Fu's men said as he approached her. "Oh, really?"She murmured as if she were expecting because she was idly passing the time rather than working. They arrived at his cabin and she went inside. As soon as he heard the door open, Boss Fu, who was sorting some files, exclaimed, "I've been waiting for you." He held out a file with a man's information." "Your next target," he mentioned.

After giving a silent nod, she left. When she got home, she sat down and dialed Stacy to discuss mission strategies, but no matter how many times she tried, Stacy never answered. She set her phone aside, wondering if she was spending time with Joe. She begun to make temporary plans on her own.

The boss was looking at Stacy, as if he were about to say something really important. Stacy held her phone tightly. "How can I help you, boss?" she asked after letting a heavy sigh. "I was about to go to Ruby's house to discuss about today's mission."

"You have a different mission, Stacy," the boss replied, looking up. "A mission that can help you promote." Stacy's eyes lit up with joy because the higher the level, higher the pay is. She wanted to tell Ruby about the good news right away, but the next statement completely shattered her. "your mission is to kill Ruby." He stated.

"What the ****?!?" She looked at him, furious and confused.

"If you fail to complete this mission, the consequence would be deadlier than you think." He said it without hesitation. "But she's the best assassin you have! This organization is still here because of her! You would be nothing without her." She yelled as loud as she could. "If you kill her, you could be the one to take that position." He said this while acting concerned about her. "I reject!" She said it firmly and was about to leave..

"Joe." He continued to speak as she froze.

"If you take the wrong step, Stacy, he might get in trouble. His life is in your hands," He sighed and spoke "remember Stacy? Remember the time you were bullied by the higher ups? The time you were just a newbie. Of course Ruby joined along with you but who was the one who saved you from them?" He gave a calm smile "you know the answer the answer don't you?" He said. "It was Joe" she replied.

"The day we decided to take over Blue moon gang. Who was the one who stayed up all night and made a plan?" "It was me" she answered. "But who got all the credits and praises!? Ruby!" "Tell me who saved you and brought you back to the base when you were almost taking your last breathes? And who took care of you till you were perfectly recovered? Say it." "It was Joe" she whispered to herself.

"The mission is tonight; if you don't respond within two hours, you can say goodbye to him;You may leave now." He said it with an evil smirk on his face.

Holding her tears, Stacy slammed the door and walked out of the room.

She shut herself in her bedroom. She was fast asleep before she realized it. After a few hours, someone began to knock on the door. It was calm at first, but it quickly felt as though the person outside was attempting to break the door. She could hear someone calling her name, and then the knocking stopped.

She moved slowly towards the door, scared and nervous. She gently looked at the door to figure out whether the person was close by or far away from door. She bent down and peeked outside through the space beneath the door. And that person was standing just next to the door. Very close. She pulled a coin from her desk silently and tightened her grip on the doorknob.

She bent down again and threw the coin at the person, which passed straight through the legs and rolled down the hall. She could hear the footsteps. The person began to walk away from the door, toward the coin.

She opened the door fully and hit him near his neck immediately, then made her way to the front door. Before she could open it, a hand gently touched her hand from behind, and she was about to headbutt that person until he called her name."Hey Stacy, relax; it's me, Joe!"

"That was really scary, Joe!" she cried as she turned around, her eyes filled with tears, "You should not have done that!"

"What was I supposed to do?" In a worried voice, he questioned her. "You turned off your phone! you wouldn't even open the door. Can you imagine how worried I was?" He sighed, wiped her tears, and gently stroked her cheeks while holding her hand. He looked at her with a warm, loving gaze. "It's all right now; don't worry, I'm here." "And I'll always be there for you," he continued. He lifted her head to look at her face, still gently stroking her cheek as she fell into his arms and cried harder.

A sharp pain ran through his body as he took a step back while holding his voice down as much as he could. she looked up, concerned, to see what happened and noticed that his face was swollen. "Are you okay?" Devastated and worried, she dragged him to the couch. "Sit down, I'll apply medicine." She said. Sat down on the couch, he was looking pale and weak. She bought a first-aid kit and applied ointment to his wounds.He gently grabbed her by the shoulder, made her to sit beside him, and said "What I'm about to tell you is very important and very dangerous."

"What is it?" She asked. "Boss Fu's men came to my house today; I thought they were there to hand over the plan materials for tonight's mission, but they were acting strangely." He stated. "What exactly do you mean?" "They just dashed into my house, broke everything inside, took the money, and left." I'm not sure what's going on, or if I've offended the boss in some way." She remained silent as he continued. "They gave me a letter before they left saying I should give this to you, and boss said something to you about time running out and this is just the beginning."

I was afraid they might have hurt you, so I rushed here as quickly as I could." Her heart began to ache with guilt as she knew what he was talking about. "Here's the letter he gave." Joe handed her the letter. She opened it to see what was written on it. "This is..." She couldn't speak because she was too stunned.  Joe was taken aback by what he witnessed. "For what?" "It's nothing, Joe." She said while reading the letter. Each statement made her feel worse and pale. Joe was totally confused by everything. "Look, I'm not sure what's going on, but whatever happens, remember that I'm with you." This was enough to break her heart into a million pieces.

"Let's call Ruby; I'm sure she can help us!" With a confident smile, he said. He dialed Ruby's number before Stacy could say anything, but she was not answering her phone no matter how many times he tried. Even Stacy had hopes for her until a sentence caught her eye. "Ruby will be at the top of the organization, leaving you both in the dust." Her eyes widened. She refused to believe it. But she was the one who kept calling her before the letter arrived but didn't answer when she got it. It didn't appear to be a coincidence. She stood up right away. "What exactly happened?" asked Joe. "Nothing. Will you accompany me? "I'd like to ask the boss what this is all about." She was furious.

They rushed over to the headquarters. As soon as she arrived at the boss's cabin "Stop all of this!" she said as she kicked open the door. "Oh, you've made up your mind," he said, as if he already knew she'd return. "So, what are you gonna do?" He placed a piece of paper in front of her. "Save your friend or your boyfriend." She took a piece of paper and a pen. She hesitated at first, but eventually signed the contract.

                                                         ------------------ That Night ----------------

Ruby had already arrived at their destination, and their mission was about to begin. According to the information, the target would definitely appear at the given place, which was a cruise ship.This party was hosted by an important figure from a wealthy organization, which was ready to collaborate with the other organisation. Ruby had a brilliant plan on how to take him out and was prepared, fully dressed.

Stacy arrived at the destination soon after. Ruby explained the plan in detail, but Stacy was zoning out the entire time. She was in no condition to take on this mission. Ruby wanted to do it alone, but Stacy insisted on watching the security cameras and the guards. She had no choice but to agree. "Just stay safe" Stacy said with a sad smile. "Come on! It's the usual we will finish our job like always we don't need care they do." Ruby smiled confidently.

"And besides" she added "You're with me so what can possibly happen to me." Stacy froze with her eyes widened as a slight sense of guilt was killing her inside and making it painful and difficult for her. This worried Ruby even more.

The celebration began. Everyone in the hall raised their glasses to toast and congratulated the important figure on his successful collaboration. Ruby approached her target with caution. She bowed to greet him with a lovely smile. He returned her greeting, and shortly the music began to play and they began to dance. They drank a couple of drinks to replenish their energy for dancing. Stacy was looking at her through a security camera, regretfully smiling .

Ruby began to feel dizzy and asked her target to assist her because she couldn't see clearly and needed some fresh air. They walked outside.  The light reflected on Ruby's face made it appear even more captivating that the target's face turned red. Then they sat down on a nearby seat and began to talk about their hobbies. Ruby planned to kill the target herself, but she spotted the sniper was set up. She thought that Stacy must've sent someone to snipe. The sniper was fully covered, including their face and had the top tier equipment that only professional snipers were allowed to use in the organization. She gave a signal to wait until she order them to shoot. Ruby was just waiting for the right opportunity.

"How nice it would be if time stopped right now," Ruby said, signaling the Sniper to get ready. "How romantic, Miss Ruby," he said while giving a  malicious smirk.

Ruby thought it was strange. Her thoughts were interrupted by the slight sound of the sniper's rifle. She raised her head upwards only to witness a bullet coming straight towards her. The bullet was released without her order. she was confused on how the sniper's direction shifted. "That's not the point right now, Ruby," she said to herself. She tried to dodge the bullet. Stacy stared in agony as the bullet headed right towards Ruby. Despite the fact that she wanted Ruby to die. Tears steamed down her face as she sat there in despair, watching Ruby's body fall flat on the ground, blood oozing out of her forehead. The passengers on the cruise were confused and were panicked by the noise coming from outside.

As the birds chirped cheerfully, the room filled with brightness. Ruby slowly opened her eyes and realized she was in a strange room. As she sat up on the bed, a young girl entered the chamber. "Oh, my lady! You've finally woken up! The wound...it looks really painful. Please allow me to look into it." Sad and worried she leaned in to take a closer look. Ruby reacted quickly, pushing herself to the other corner of the bed before the girl could touch her. "Who the hell are you? And where is this!?" Ruby inquired. "This is your mansion, my lady, and I'm your servant, Lan Fen." She responded with a concerned look. "What in the world is going on?" Ruby had no idea about what was happening with her.

Stay tuned to know what happened next!

Thank you for reading.

Questions for readers :

How would you like your ideal best friend to be? or What qualities do you like in your best friend?