The city lay silent under the moon's cold gaze, but danger lurked in its darkest corners.
Ivy Duan was already inside the hotel.
She moved like a shadow, weaving through security with an elegance that only years of elite training could perfect. No alarms. No witnesses. No mistakes.
Dressed in a sleek black bodysuit, her silver hair was tucked beneath a hood, her boots making no sound against the marble floors. Her eyes glowed in the dim emergency lighting—sharp, predatory, deadly.
She had studied everything about Ochieng.
His routines. His defenses. His allies.
She knew when he would be alone. When he would be most vulnerable.
And tonight, she would strike.
--
Ochieng stood in his penthouse suite, staring at the city skyline.
A cigarette burned between his fingers, its ember glowing faintly in the dark room. He rarely smoked—but tonight, something felt off.
Jeff and Naima were out handling business. Tielen had gone to ground, moving in the underworld. His most trusted people were nowhere near him.
Coincidence? No.
He exhaled slowly, watching the smoke curl through the air.
Then—he felt it.
That creeping sensation. The weight of a hunter's gaze.
Someone was here.
And they weren't here to talk.
---
Ivy was already inside the penthouse.
She crouched in the shadows of the hallway, her blade resting between her fingers.
One strike. One kill.
She lunged—silent as death itself.
But Ochieng moved.
A whisper of air. A flicker of motion.
She sliced forward, expecting to feel flesh give way—but she hit nothing.
Ochieng had already sidestepped.
His cigarette hit the floor.
His eyes locked onto hers.
"So, they finally sent someone interesting."
Ivy smirked. "And I expected an easy target."
Then, she attacked again.
---
The room exploded into chaos.
Ivy's movements were lightning-fast, her blade cutting through the air like silver streaks of death.
Ochieng dodged—his body moving with a precision that shouldn't have been possible for an ordinary businessman.
Ivy's blade whistled past his throat—he countered with a brutal elbow strike, aiming for her ribs.
She twisted at the last second, spinning into a graceful sweep kick.
Ochieng leaped back, flipping over the couch.
She was fast. But he was faster.
And more than that—he was prepared.
---
Ivy's breath came faster.
She had fought countless men before. Broken them. Killed them.
But Ochieng… he was different.
His reflexes. His awareness. The way he read her movements before she even made them.
This wasn't a simple businessman.
He was something else.
For the first time in years, she hesitated.
And that was her mistake.
In an instant, Ochieng closed the distance.
A hand shot out—gripping her wrist. He twisted. The blade clattered to the ground.
With a swift movement, he spun her, pinning her against the wall. His breath was warm against her ear.
"You're good," he murmured. "But not good enough."
Ivy's pulse raced.
For the first time in years—she had lost.
---
Ochieng tightened his grip. "Tell me—who sent you?"
Ivy smirked. "You already know."
He chuckled. "Then tell me… why shouldn't I kill you right now?"
She met his gaze, her silver eyes flashing.
"Because I can be more useful to you alive."
Ochieng raised a brow. Interesting.
The Ghost King had sent his best. But now… she was offering herself to him?
He leaned in slightly, his voice low. "You're playing a dangerous game."
Ivy smirked. "So are you."
A tense silence stretched between them.
Then, slowly—Ochieng released her.
Ivy rubbed her wrist, her smirk never fading. "Let's make a deal."
He chuckled. "Let's hear it."
The game had changed.
And this was only the beginning.
---
The city had become a battleground of unseen forces.
The power blackout had been the first move. The massacre at the warehouse the second. And now, Ochieng knew that a final piece was in play—an assassin was coming for him.
But Ochieng wasn't the type to sit back and wait for death to arrive.
-
Deep beneath the city, in an abandoned subway station long erased from official maps, Ochieng sat at the head of a dimly lit table. Across from him sat five figures, their faces hidden beneath dark hoods.
They were the ones who operated in the spaces between shadows—the true power in the underworld.
"I assume you all know why we're here," Ochieng's voice was calm, but the weight behind it sent a chill through the room.
A deep voice rumbled from one of the figures. "The Ghost King has moved against you. That alone means he sees you as a threat."
"Good," Ochieng said, leaning back. "That means I'm doing something right."
A woman with long nails tapped them against the table. "You should leave the city while you still can. If Ivy Duan is involved, you won't see the next sunrise."
Ochieng chuckled. "You underestimate me."
"No," another figure cut in. "You underestimate her."
A thick silence filled the air.
Finally, Ochieng spoke again. "That's why I called this meeting. I'm not running. I'm not hiding. I'm striking first."
He slid a small USB drive across the table. "Inside is a list of The Ghost King's operations—where he launders his money, where he stashes his weapons, who his most valuable men are."
He leaned forward, eyes gleaming with deadly intent.
"Tonight, we burn everything down."
---
At 1:00 AM, an explosion rocked the financial district.
At 1:15 AM, an underground weapons depot was reduced to ashes.
At 1:30 AM, a convoy carrying $50 million in illegal cash vanished without a trace.
By 2:00 AM, every one of The Ghost King's operations was in absolute chaos.
Ochieng had flipped the chessboard.
--
Meanwhile, Ivy Duan watched the destruction from the rooftop of a nearby hotel, her silver hair whipping in the wind.
She had been sent to hunt Ochieng.
But now, she realized something.
He wasn't prey.
He was a predator.
A small smirk played at the corner of her lips.
"This just got interesting."
She vanished into the night, her mission unchanged.
Ochieng had to die.
But now?
She would enjoy the challenge.
---
Back at the penthouse, Ochieng stood by the window, watching the city burn.
Jeff walked up beside him. "You know this isn't over."
Ochieng smirked. "Of course. That was just my greeting."
He turned, his eyes flashing with dangerous amusement.
"Now, let's see how The Ghost King responds."