Chapter 15
<Chapter>Chapter Fifteen: Clueless Combatant </Chapter>
In haste, Wayne shook his head, "No... I was just kidding around. Please, Miss Redstone, be the bigger person here... don't stoop to my level..."
As he spoke, Wayne even began to slap his own face.
With an icy demeanor, Gianna watched him without flinching.
After Wayne's face reddened from the slaps, Gianna calmly withdrew her foot and walked away without a backward glance.
Wayne’s frightened eyes instantly turned malevolent, his gaze searing into Gianna's retreating figure. He swore to himself that he would not let Gianna off the hook for this – he’d remember this grudge.
Seeing Gianna gone, Felix turned to head upstairs.
His expression remained indifferent, but his mind was now riddled with doubt about Gianna.
Perhaps it was time for Sophia to do some digging on Gianna.
He knew her solely as Bella's twin sister, the Redstone family's long-lost daughter for sixteen years.
In their three years of marriage, she had cared for him wholeheartedly, just like any other wife would. But today was truly revealing!
Mitchell was also taken aback, turning to Felix and saying, "Felix, Gianna just hit Wayne, and he's known for holding grudges. He'll surely retaliate. Aren't you going to do something about it?"
Felix's cool demeanor persisted. "She hasn't asked for my help. Why should I meddle?"
"But she is, after all, your wife."
At that, Felix’s expression seemed to frost over further as he coldly responded, "Who knows, she might not be for much longer."
A flash of surprise crossed Mitchell’s face. "Are you planning to divorce Gianna and get back with Bella?"
Mitchell interpreted Felix's silence as agreement and continued, "You’ve always had a thing for Bella. A divorce might be best for you and Gianna both."
"The divorce was Gianna’s idea," Felix retorted.
Mitchell was truly taken aback. Over the course of their three-year marriage, it was evident to everyone how deeply Gianna cared for Felix. It seemed inconceivable that she would be the one to propose a divorce.
"You sure about that?! If she's the one asking for it, what's holding you back? Don't tell me it's about the alimony," Mitch teased, knowing well that money was likely not the issue.
Felix shot Mitch an irritated glance. "Got nothing better to do? Have you sorted out that mess with the young starlet?"
Mitch fell silent.
The two entered the private room where Uriah and Raymond were already waiting.
Observing Felix's serious demeanor, Uriah couldn't resist making a playful remark. "What's with the long face, Felix?"
Without a word from Felix, Mitch chimed in with a sly grin, "Our friend here is sour because he got served with divorce papers."
Uriah's eyes widened before he quickly shifted his tone. "Come on, we should be happy when we eat. Forget the downers."
The return of Bella to the States had cast doubt on the already fragile foundation of Felix and Gianna's union, leaving everyone with lingering uncertainties.
Meanwhile, unnoticed by the others, Raymond's grip on his glass tightened silently.
After finishing their meal, Uriah and Mitch suggested going out for drinks at the Royal Court.
"You go ahead. I've got things to handle tonight," said Felix, excusing himself.
Raymond also left, claiming he had matters at home.
With both friends busy, Uriah turned to Mitch. "Looks like it's just us, huh? Fancy a casual drink at a bar?"
Mitchell shook his head with a smile. "Got a date with my girlfriend. You go ahead."
After a moment of silence, Uriah asked, not hiding his surprise, "Really smooth with the transitions, huh? She's not the starlet, is she?"
"Nope, I'll introduce her to you guys later."
"Wow, serious this time?"
"I'm always serious about relationships."
Uriah rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Sure you are. Go on then, I'm heading home. This is a drag."
...
Felix arrived back at his villa past nine in the evening.
Stepping in, he was caught off guard to see Gianna with a bag, ready to leave.
She was dressed in a sporty outfit, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, looking both capable and stunning.
"Where are you off to so late?" Felix asked.
Gianna, equally surprised to see him, replied with a level tone, "Just some things to take care of. I won't be back for a few days."
Felix seized her hand tightly, his gaze piercing and cold as ice. "Gianna, don't you forget that you're a married woman! No matter what it is, you're not stepping a foot outside at this hour!"
Gianna, irritated, wrenched her hand free. "What does it matter to you? Haven't you often gone off for days, even weeks, without a word? Just because I'm back at the Villa doesn't give you the right to meddle in my personal life!"
She glanced at her watch; the time to meet with the contact she'd codenamed "Vulture" was rapidly approaching.
"If you don't make it clear what you're about to do, I swear you won’t leave this Villa today!"
Gianna locked eyes with him, enunciating every word. "Move. Aside."
Felix remained silent, his dark and frosty eyes still trained on her.
Having witnessed Gianna's combat abilities earlier, he acknowledged her prowess but remained confident she couldn't overpower him. If she dared to act, it would present an ideal opportunity to inquire about her martial arts background.
Her face was expressionless as she stared back at Felix, who was just about to speak when a faint "ding" suddenly rang in his ear.
His forehead creased in confusion, puzzled by Gianna's actions—then she began to count down.
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
As Gianna uttered the last number, Felix lost consciousness.
She dragged Felix to the couch, then turned and left without looking back.
Upon waking the next morning, Felix found himself alone in the room. As he rubbed his temples, the events of the previous day came rushing back to him. His sharp gaze swept the room, but Gianna was nowhere to be found, leaving him with a furrowed brow.
He immediately dialed Sophia, “Check Gianna's whereabouts, now!”
Meanwhile, deep in the tropical rainforest, a team was hustling toward the heart of the jungle, urgency in their steps.
About a dozen in number and clad in camo gear, each bore various injuries, but no one lagged—a testament to their disciplined training.
The leader brought them to a riverbank and said to the others in English, “Once we cross this river, we're in the clear.”
Before they could catch their breath, a gunshot rang out from the distance, hitting the leader between the eyes.
Bang!
As the man fell, the air filled with more gunfire, swiftly thinning their ranks from a dozen to just a handful.
"Into the river, now!"
A series of splashes filled the air, and the water churned with chaos.
Gianna remained motionless, her gaze fixed on the roiled water's surface like a statue.
At that moment, a deep voice came through her earpiece, "Iris, focus on taking out Scorpio. The rest are small fry, not worth our concern. Get ready to pull out."
Gianna furrowed her brows; she was a firm believer in tying up loose ends. But this mission was being called by Vulture, and when he gave the order to pull back, she reluctantly agreed.
She holstered her weapon and turned to leave when suddenly, a frantic voice burst through her earpiece, "Watch out!"
Sensing danger, Gianna's body instinctively jerked aside just as a bullet grazed her cheek, leaving behind a trail of blood.
Without missing a beat, she whirled around and fired in the direction the bullet came from. Her shot was so swift that her attacker lay on the ground, eyes wide with shock, completely devoid of life before they could fire again.
A whistle came through the earpiece, followed by Vulture's unmistakable note of admiration.
"Classic Iris, fast as ever!"
Gianna's voice was crisp and cool, maintaining her composure. "I have other matters. Just wire the payment to my account."
With that, she cut the communication.
...
During those three days, Felix became increasingly aloof, so much so that no one at the company dared to approach him.
"CEO, this is what I've found on Miss Redstone," an employee ventured.
Felix barely glanced at the documents before throwing them down onto the desk in frustration, "This is what you come up with after three days?!"
