CHAPTER 346: CHAPTER-346.

Veer’s expression shifted as understanding began to dawn.

"One thing is sure," Kaya continued, counting on her fingers. "The broker is quite strong. Strong enough that even facing death, these hitmen won’t betray him. Second, he hides quite well—operates completely in the shadows. And third, just like the mongoose, these other hitmen also don’t know who the person that gave them the original contract is."

She turned back to the window. "The broker keeps his clients anonymous. That’s how he protects his business. The hitmen never meet the clients. They just get the contract, complete it, and get paid."

"So how do we find him?" Veer asked.

Kaya’s smile turned dangerous. "We make him come out on his own."

"How?"

"Think about it," Kaya said. "Right now, the broker thinks everything is normal. Five hitmen took the contract. One target. Business as usual. But what happens when those hitmen go back and tell him that the target placed the contract on herself?"

Veer’s eyes widened. "He’ll be confused. Suspicious."

"More than that," Kaya said. "He’ll be concerned. Someone is playing games with his business. Someone is manipulating his system. Someone knows about the dead drop, knows how his operation works."

She smiled wider. "A broker’s entire business depends on secrecy and control. If someone is messing with that, he has to investigate. He has to figure out who’s behind it."

"And when he investigates..."

"He comes out of hiding," Kaya finished. "He’ll want to know who I am, why I did this, what I know about his operation. He might even try to meet me directly to figure out if I’m a threat."

Veer let out a low whistle. "That’s... actually brilliant."

"That’s why I let them go," Kaya said. "I need them alive to deliver the message. I need them to tell the broker about me. And once that happens..."

She clenched her fist. "Once he comes out to investigate, we grab him. And then he’ll tell us who the original client was—who actually wanted me dead in the first place."

Veer nodded slowly, a smile spreading across his face. "So you’re using the hitmen as bait to catch the broker, and the broker as a way to find the real enemy."

"Exactly."

"But what if the broker doesn’t come out? What if he just cuts his losses and stays hidden?"

Kaya’s smile turned cold. "Then I’ll hunt down every single one of his hitmen, destroy his reputation, and make it impossible for him to do business in this city. Eventually, he’ll have no choice but to face me."

She looked at Veer. "Either way, I win."

Veer laughed, shaking his head. "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

"Too late for that," Kaya teased. "You’re already stuck with me."

From the corner, Sparrow’s weak voice emerged. "So... we’re not going to die today?"

"Not today," Kaya said cheerfully.

"Oh, thank the heavens," Sparrow muttered, slumping in relief.

Cutie, who had been silently listening to everything, finally moved. He walked over to where the unconscious hawk was tied up and gave him a hard kick to make sure he was still out cold.

Thud.

Still unconscious.

Kaya walked over to the mongoose’s room and opened the door slightly, peering in. The mongoose was exactly where she’d left him—broken, bleeding, barely breathing.

"Soon," she whispered to him, though he probably couldn’t hear. "Soon we’ll find out who sent you. And then we’ll find out who really wanted me dead."

She closed the door and turned back to the others.

"Alright," she said, clapping her hands together. "Now we wait. By tonight, the other hitmen will have met up and compared notes. By tomorrow, they’ll have reported back to the broker. And by the day after..."

Her eyes gleamed with that predatory light.

"The real game begins."

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On the other side of the capital, far from the bustling streets and market districts, stood a completely dark forest. Ancient trees twisted together, their branches blocking out even the brightest moonlight. Deep within this darkness, a massive mountain loomed—silent, foreboding, untouched by civilization.

Carved into the side of that mountain was a small house. Not built—carved. Cut directly into the stone itself, hidden from anyone who didn’t know exactly where to look.

Inside one of the chambers, the darkness was absolute.

No candles. No torches. No light whatsoever.

Just pure, suffocating blackness.

And sitting on a stone chair in the center of that darkness was a man.

His form was barely visible—just a silhouette against the deeper shadows. But his eyes... his eyes gleamed bright red in the darkness, glowing like embers in a dead fire.

He sat perfectly still, his breathing slow and controlled. On the wall directly in front of him hung a single portrait.

Even in the darkness, that portrait seemed to catch what little light existed.

It was Kaya.

But not the Kaya who walked the streets of the capital now. Not the Kaya in simple traveling clothes, blending in with the crowds.

This Kaya wore a flowing white gown—elegant, pristine, almost ethereal. Her hair was styled differently, longer, more refined. And her eyes... those sharp blue eyes stared directly out from the portrait with an intensity that seemed to pierce through the darkness itself.

This was Kaya from before. From another time. Another place.

The man stared at the portrait for a long moment, his red eyes unblinking.

Then, slowly, a smile spread across his face. In the darkness, his teeth gleamed white—sharp, predatory.

And then he laughed.

"Ha... ha ha ha..."

The sound echoed through the stone chamber—not loud, but chilling. Each laugh dripped with amusement and something darker. Something obsessive.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

His laughter grew, filling the empty space with madness barely contained.

"Oh, dear..." he whispered, his voice a low rasp that seemed to crawl across the walls. "My goddess..."

He leaned forward slightly, his red eyes fixed on the portrait. On Kaya’s face. On those blue eyes staring back at him.

"Let’s see how much you can play," he murmured, his smile widening further. "Let’s see how long you can dance before you realize..."