Before Ricardo could press the trigger, Kaida swiftly fired at his stomach watching as Ricardo stumbled back. She fired again and again at his stomach till Ricardo fell on his knees staring up at her.

Gunshots erupted all around her as Ricardo’s men fired at them but Ace’s men took over, firing again and again. Gunshots, cries and screams of pain echoed in the living room but her focus was solely on Ricardo, her ears ringing as she slowly went into a catatonic state.

She had just fired at Ricardo.. The one who had combed her hair and did her braids as a child. The one who had tended to her wounds when she overworked. The one who had looked after her during her menstrual cramps. The one who had held her hand when she was scared. Ricardo was her reason for pushing forward despite everything. She had been so caught up in wanting to eliminate all his enemies throughout the past few years so he was safe and sound that she didn't even realise she was slowly losing herself. She had buried all her sadness and past trauma and focused solely on making him proud and happy feeling like she owed him her life.

Ace had freed her from this cage, had helped her chase her nightmares away and instead of giving her an illusion of safety and comfort. Ace had offered her a true home and family. But she lost it all for a man who never truly loved her, who was only manipulating her and coaxing her with fake love so she stayed by his side obediently. All those years protecting Ricardo was for nothing.

Ace would never forgive her.. She had not only lost her father figure but the love of her life. All these years she's been serving the murderer of her parents. And all the men who she had trained with were the same men who had helped in killing her entire family. She breathed faintly at all the emotions rippling through her, the room spinning.

“Kaida!”Ace suddenly shook her fiercely making her snap out of her catatonic state.

“Breathe.. Breathe Leonessa, this is not the time to lose hold of yourself” Ace said holding her face in his hands.

Kaida looked up at him blinking her tears away “Ace?”

“I'm right here, love. Breathe for me.”Ace said softly.

Kaida breathed in and out slowly and as she slowly regained control of her senses. She pulled away from Ace and headed towards Ricardo who was slowly dying on the floor. Crimson red blood tainted the carpet as he laid there bleeding profusely.

Kaida got on her knees next to him and stared into his brown eyes for a few seconds. “You should have killed me… You should have let me burn”

“K-Kaida p-please”Ricardo stuttered, blood coming out of his mouth.

“I'm not my mother.. I won't save you.. You deserve to die… You ruined my existence,"Kaida said, pulling out her swinguard knife. The one Ricardo had gifted her for her first target.

“You proudly called me your assassin right? The very weapon you forged is going to be the reason for your death now, Ricardo,"Kaida said, lifting the knife up before plunging it in his chest again and again. Stabbing till blood splattered all over her suit, till Ricardo gave his last breath and he died with his eyes open slowly losing all the life in them. Dying with regret and agony just like her parents had.

She slowly stood up and looked around the room seeing Ricardo’s men all on their knees, their hands cuffed behind their backs. Some of them were already dead. But the rest of them were now on their knees which had been shot with guns pointed at the back of their head by Ace’s men.

“I vowed to you that we would find the culprits and I vowed to myself that I would watch you take your revenge. They are all yours, Leonessa “Ace whispered, making her eyes flicker with emotions and vulnerability.

“Despite everything...”Kaida trailed off, her voice croaking. She didn't understand why he was still helping her.

Ace’s eyes darkened with sadness and anger but he still remained calm. “I always keep my word. I made a vow to you and I intend to fulfil it”

Kaida took a deep breath knowing that he wasn't forgiving her but merely fulfilling his vow. A vow that he didn't need to fulfil but here he was offering her, her enemies on a golden platter. He could have killed them. But he didn't. He didn't snatch that from her.

She exhaled softly and stepped in front of the men watching each of their gazes. “Which one of you has a scar on her thigh?”She asked hoping that the one she had stabbed that day while running from the kitchen was still alive.

All the men remained quiet, fear evident in their eyes. Some whimpering in agony from the blood coming out of their knees but none dared answer her. “Who was the man I stabbed that night!” Kaida snapped, her voice cold and ruthless. Ricardo’s blood decorating her suit and face. In that instant, she looked just like the well known assassin that she was. The Red Dragon, The Ruthless Assassin.

The one next to the middle man slowly lifted his head up, resignation and acceptance clear in his green eyes. “It was me..” The man confessed. He was Ricardo’s right hand man. Nicholas.

“I see and the one who prevented me from reaching the back door was?”Kaida asked, her heart completely shattered by now but she needed this. She needed to face her inner demons and finally avenge her family.

“That was me” The one on the left said, lifting his head to stare at her defiantly. That was Benito, Kaida had been good friends with him. Betrayal really had the most bitter taste.

Kaida smiled viciously and approached the man crouching in front of him. “You huh? I had trained with you for years, seen all of you guys as my companions, Benito or is that even your real name? You are all Japanese right? And yet you succeeded perfectly well in fooling me to believe you originated from here.” Kaida laughed at her own stupidity.

Benito spat at her feet. “The boss should have let you burn there in agony”

Kaida’s eyes darkened and she stood back up. “That's what you think? Very well then. It seems I found the perfect way to kill all of you” She smiled as she headed into the room where all weapons, guns, bombs were kept in Ricardo’s mansion.

They all deserved to die agonisingly slow for killing her entire family without any ounce of regret and then going on to live their lives in luxury and comfort. And she was going to make sure they knew what true pain felt like.