Prologue
There had been nothing more dangerous and seductive as Mia-Amber Lee, the scorching fire to Rex’s glacier of a heart. The woman who made him the man he is today through spilled blood and cold steel. He’d become her polished and assertive CEO during the day. Her truculent assassin in the evening. And at night, he ravished every fragment of her, mind, body, and soul, as her lover and enemy.
And that would all end tonight.
Rex held the mask tightly in one hand and his gun in the other.
The ballroom was adorned with red roses and gold trimmings, chandeliers twinkling above the gossiping guests' heads. Everyone was dressed in their finest attire for the evening while he had changed into plain black jeans and a sweater. A crowd of patrons were gathered by the stage with their glasses of champagne as the host gathered everyone’s attention.
“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the business gala of the year,” the host greeted proudly in the mic. A few guests applauded and rose their glasses in celebration. “Over the last few weeks, we’ve been hearing so much about this marvelous business consultant, The Tutor. She’s been a mystery to us for years and a controversial topic recently. Here tonight, she has rewarded us with her presence, the world now acknowledging her as The Tutor.”
A memory of him asking her why she went by the name The Tutor popped into his head when he hear the title. “Because the best time of my life was when I was your tutor.”
“She’s helped small and large businesses worldwide develop and expand a thousand times anyone’s wildest dreams, ranging from local bakeries to international tech companies. We are gathered here tonight to honor her with the prestigious Business of the Year award for her many auxiliary accomplishments. I have the astounding pleasure of introducing our lady of the night, Mia-Amber Lee!”
The crowd applauded at her presence. Climbing the stage stairs one by one, all eyes including his were mesmerized by her. Wearing a black one-shoulder dress, a slit displaying one of her gorgeous golden legs, she was undeniably beautiful. Her hair was in elegantly messy coils down her back with clips of diamonds arranged around the crown of her head. Her makeup, always delicate and natural, focused on her brown eyes shadowed with gold. Her dark honey skin glimmered beneath the stage lights as she took her position on stage.
The thumping of Rex’s heart left him breathless for a moment. An air about her always left him frozen to the spot. Not again. He had to move. He couldn’t just stand back here like a fool. In his mind, he reminded himself of her misdeeds.
She killed your parents.
She stole all your money.
She turned your entire world upside down.
You’re bound as an assassin because of her.
“Thank you so much for this astounding honor tonight. I enjoy what I do, helping companies like my own to develop, thrive, and prosper, no matter how large or small…”
Taking another deep breath, he slid the ski mask on his face and forced himself to walk into the ballroom before he could hesitate. Marching towards the stage, it took the crowd a moment before they realized he held a gun. They screamed in panic, many quaking in their dress shoes and stilettos.
His gun and attention were focused on Mia’s expression of dismay, eyes widening, taking a step back into the curtains.
The moment he stared into the eyes that used to bring him so much joy and content, he knew the truth. That no matter how much he told her and himself of the hatred he harbored for her. No matter how many time he reminded himself of the pain she caused him, he had never stopped loving her. Their hearts had been bound together since high school and hadn’t changed after eight years apart.
He pulled the trigger.