Page 37 of The Torturer's Target

She had to start taking her medication again. She hated the way it made her feel sluggish and weird, but it was the only way she could get a dreamless, peaceful sleep.

Cursing Venus under her breath for talking her into this, she gritted her teeth. Although a part of her had wanted to do it, now that she was faced with it, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease that clung to her.

“You can always quit when you want, Tesiera. No one is forcing you,” she muttered to herself, navigating the hospital's long, winding hallways. The walls were a sickly shade of off-white, and the floors creaked under her feet, adding to the already eerie atmosphere. The fluorescent lights overhead flickered every now and then, casting strange shadows on the walls.

As she turned a corner, Tesiera found the restroom. She hesitated for a moment before pushing the door open and stepping into the small room. The air was thick with the scent of disinfectant, making her nose wrinkle in disgust. The sound of running water filled the room, echoing off the tiles that lined the walls.

Tesiera strode over to the sink, the cool metal of the faucet feeling refreshing against her skin. She turned the knob, watching as the water flowed from the spout, creating small ripples on the surface of the basin.

As she lifted her gaze to the mirror, Tesiera caught a glimpse of her reflection. She couldn’t help but notice how drained she looked. The bags under her eyes were darker than usual, her skin pale and sallow. How long it had been since she had gotten a good night’s rest?

The sleeplessness had worsened in recent years, especially since she started hunting her father’s killers. She stared at herself for a moment, taking in the image before her. Her face was stern, her eyes cold and unyielding. She had always been a stoic person, but now she wondered if she had become too hardened, too unfeeling.

Tesiera’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. She glanced at the mirror’s reflection, she watched a young nurse step inside. The other woman’s eyes widened in surprise as she took in Tesiera’s appearance. She certainly didn’t look like a patient.

The nurse gave Tesiera a wide berth, as Tesiera pulled her eyes away from the mirror, dried her hands, and walked out of the restroom.

Bose stepped into the neurology ward, a can of soda in hand. He took occasional sips from the beverage, as he returned to his post after evaluating the latest group of prospective bodyguards.

Then, something caught his eye. Or, rather, someone.

He narrowed his eyes, struggling to believe what he was seeing. There was no mistaking it, as clear as day: it was indeed the red-haired assassin. She’d just emerged from the restroom and was now walking towards the boss’s office.

“Shit. What the fuck is she doing here?” Bose snarled under his breath, feeling his good mood dissolve into anger. With a surge of irritation, he crushed the can in his grip.

“Now I can finally finish this.” He tossed the crumpled can into a nearby bin, disregarding the puddle at his feet.

Bose soundlessly snuck behind his target and grabbed her, hoisting her over his shoulder.

Caught off guard, Tesiera was momentarily stunned. “Let me go!” she demanded, pounding on his back and kicking her legs in a desperate attempt to break free. But his grip was unyielding. Fucking bastard.

She made a sharp twist in an attempt to escape, but Bose anticipated the move and held firm. Knowing he couldn't restrain her for long, he quickly dashed into the nearest room, relieved to find it empty. He shut the door behind them.

“Get your hands off me!” Tesiera demanded, pressing a pressure point on his neck just enough to force him to release her. She landed nimbly on her feet and, seizing the moment of distraction, hurled a powerful punch at Bose.

“Fuck!” Bose cursed, cradling his throbbing face, momentarily dazed by the force of Tesiera's punch.

Wasting no time, Tesiera moved to launch another attack, this time a kick. But Bose recovered quickly, catching her leg midair, twisting it, and forcing it down. As he raised his fist to strike, Tesiera deftly pushed his wrist aside and kneed him in the stomach, eliciting a pained groan from him.

Despite the searing pain, Bose lunged at her, grabbing her neck and slamming her against the wall with a thud.

Clinton whistled absentmindedly as he scrolled through his phone, his mind still churning with the revelations from the boss's office. Initially, he had thought the boss was making a poor joke when he mentioned that the female assassin would be joining their team. However, that notion vanished as soon as he realized the boss wasn't smiling.

The next thought to cross his mind was that the boss had lost his sanity. Apparently, his expression betrayed his thoughts, because the boss had then assured him with a smile that his mind was perfectly sound. Before Clinton could respond, a nurse interrupted, needing the boss's attention, and he had to step out.

Now, on his way to the visitor's restroom, Clinton was still grappling with the reality that the boss had hired the very assassin who had nearly killed him. The boss had explained that she knew it was his half-brother, Maxi, who was responsible for her father's death, not him. Yet, the decision to employ her as a protector still baffled Clinton.

As Clinton passed by the conference room, a familiar but unexpected sound made him pause and return to the door. Then he heard it unmistakably: the sounds of a fight.

“Who the hell fights in a freaking hospi—” he began to mutter as he opened the door, only to be rendered speechless by the fierce brawl between Bose and Tesiera.

“Of course, it's these two,” he sighed, more irritated than surprised that they were practically trying to kill each other.

Tesiera was using a mop stick to fend off Bose, who was skillfully dodging her strikes while attempting to land his own punches.

“Alright, that's enough, you two. Stop,” Clinton commanded, but his words fell on deaf ears as they were too engrossed in their battle.

Bose finally managed to grab the mop stick, yanking it from Tesiera's grasp. With a swift downward swing, he struck her kneecap, causing her to stumble and lose her balance.

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