The evening sun set behind the horizon, amber and shadow claiming Winter's apartment as its own.

She'd spent the afternoon visiting her mother who, visibly pleased that Winter would be going back to work, kept smiling so brightly that Winter dodged specifics of her "job" with a gentle deflection toward her mother's recovery.

"Don't worry. Just focus on getting better, so we can live together again," she said, watching as hope sparked in her mother's tired eyes.

Back in her apartment, Winter stirs a tall glass of iced cocoa as a part of her battles to lift her mind to conflictual images: her mother and the new "venture".

Just then, her laptop chimed, jolting her from her thoughts.

Her heart pounding, she sidled over to the screen, fingers hovering above the trackpad. She took a deep breath and clicked into the notification.

There it was. Job request applied.

The profile was the simplest, blankest, and shocking.

Karina was the target's name —
a breathtaking socialite, with photos full of designer clothes and high-society parties and vacations at the most exotic places on earth.

Most importantly, Mayor's daughter.

Winter's eyes spread wide, a small smile playing at her lips as it sank: her first client was real. She hadn't expected things to get so on the nose, but here she was, with a request sitting in her inbox.

But as she scrolled down, her smile faltered.

The request was odd.

Instead of an assassination, it was a kidnapping.

Specifically, a broad daylight abduction at the airport.

Instructions were even accompanied by a warning that they "didn't trust others" and would "handle the rest" themselves.

Winter squinted, a bit insulted by the suggestion that her only role would be to kidnap this girl and hand her over like some rookie.

She couldn't resist, and before she knew it, she was punching in the number that the text gave her in her phone.

The line rang twice before a low voice answered - the greeting on the other end weirdly cryptic.

Without warning, Winter attacked her grievance, "Exactly how am I supposed to kidnap someone in broad daylight? From an airport, no less! Do you understand how impossible that sounds?"

The voice on the other end scoffed, muttering something to her about how she was "incompetent" and a "wannabe."

Winter's jaw clenched. She'd never backed down from a challenge before, and she wasn't about to start now.

"Oh, I can do it," she said, her voice laced with determination.

"Good luck, then," the voice responded dismissively before hanging up.

Winter let out a frustrated scream into her empty apartment. This was going to be absurdly difficult, but her pride was on the line.

She was a top-tier MMA fighter who'd taken down opponents twice her size; she could handle a spoiled socialite in an airport. With her first job on the line, she took a deep breath and mentally began planning, her ego refusing to let her even think of failure.

Winter spent the entire evening planning, with Banana sprawling across her lap, purring contentedly as if he had a stake in the operation. She absently scratched behind his ears, the rhythm soothing her racing thoughts.

After hours of trolling through online forums and reading obscure articles and mapping her approach, Winter finally settled on her plan.

She took a victorious breath and waved aloft a small bottle of mild sedative she had obtained through the local pharmacy, hoping that might have the desired effect.

Weary, she lay back and fell asleep at the feeling of misery combined with a slight tug of determination and resentment.

_

Morning arrived fast, and when Karina arrived at the airport, one could not afford to ignore her.

Charming, she effortlessly exudes glamour by pulling her designer suitcase behind her, scrolling on her phone while half-focused on passing windows reflecting her back at herself. She moves with a careless air of entitlement, focus lost in social media feed and latest selfies.

Meanwhile, Winter stood there for nearly half an hour, sweating under her black hoodie growing as she looked about without wanting to draw too much attention to herself.

People shot her suspicious glances, but she just looked away. Finally, she saw the girl she wanted.

Karina's gaze shifted, her eyes alerting to someone lingering nearby. Her lips curled into a small smile as probably she thought that the person must be a fan-an everyday occurrence for her.

Lowering her sunglasses, she gave Winter a half-smile and said, "You want an autograph, don't you? It's okay. I understand. People always recognize me."

Winter blinked, getting caught off guard by the spontaneous assumption. She hastily tried to smooth her face.

"Uh… yeah. Sure." Winter spun her head in thought, envisioning how this mishap may turn things around for her.

Karina was already used to the idea of compromising with fans' whims and pulled out a pen from her designer bag.

"Where do you want it? On your shirt? Bag? I need to sleep, so let's make this quick."

Winter blinking in a moment of pure disbelief. Her eyes flicked to the guards stationed beyond, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't have much time to get this done.

"Actually," Winter improvised, forcing a smile, "I was hoping you could come with me… for a photo, you know? Somewhere a bit quieter."

She gestured toward a secluded area near the back of the terminal.

Karina gazed up at Winter, both flattered and slightly intrigued.

"Oh, so bold! Alright, fine. I'll give you a moment. But make it fast."

Winter's eyebrow twitched with irritation and amusement as she led Karina to a quiet corner near an unmarked door that led to a restricted area. Karina, still soaking up the "fan experience," followed her willingly.

They passed a few onlookers, but Karina, firmly in her starlight persona, waved at them with an exaggerated friendliness.

Winter kept her gaze lowered, not noticing as she unlocked the door, the key card swiped from the service counter earlier, and gestured for Karina to enter first.

"Wait," Karina said, stopping just before stepping into the frame.

"Before we take this picture, you should carry my bag. I can't be photographed carrying luggage in a fan photo, after all."

She handed Winter her designer bag as if she were her personal assistant.

Between the absurdity and her dwindling patience, Winter took the bag and let out a sigh.

The moment Karina stepped through the door, Winter acted. She pulled a cloth from her pocket, soaked with the mild sedative, and pressed it firmly over Karina's mouth.

Karina's eyes went wide, her voice muffled as she tried to protest.

"Is this … part of the fan experience? It's a bit—"

And then she went limp.

Winter found her mumbling to herself as she peered around, half hoping someone would come by and catch a glimpse of her.

"Of all the kidnappings I have ever seen in movies," she muttered, "I have never witnessed this dumbass kidnapping."