Chapter 2:
College was nothing like the places I usually operated in. No rooftops, no shadows, no blood.Just laughter, chatter, and careless smiles.
I stood across the street from Ravenwood University, hands tucked into the pockets of my jacket, eyes scanning the campus like it was enemy territory. Students moved freely through the gates, oblivious to how fragile their world really was.
I adjusted my glasses before stepping in.
The platinum-blonde hair was gone, dyed jet black, with a pair of glasses with thin black frame over my blue eyes. The sharp edges I wore in the field were softened,casual clothes, relaxed posture, no visible weapons. I looked like just another student.
Which was the point.
Enrollment had been handled overnight by the Black Dragons. Fake records. Clean identity. A past that didn't exist.
Name: Evan Carter.
Age: 20.
Major: Business Administration.
Perfect.
I crossed the campus grounds, senses alert out of habit. Every movement, every face—filed away, analyzed. Old instincts refused to shut off.
That was when I saw her.
She was standing near the fountain, sunlight dancing in her raven-black hair as it spilled over her shoulders. A book was tucked against her chest, and when she laughed at something her friend said, the sound hit me harder than any gunshot ever had.
Then she turned.
Hazel-green eyes.
They met mine for half a second.
And for the first time in years, my focus slipped. She looked perfect like an angel,
Her hazel-green eyes were the first thing anyone noticed bright yet gentle, a shifting blend of emerald and gold that seemed to soften when she smiled. Long, dark lashes framed them, casting faint shadows against smooth skin whenever she blinked.
Her brows were naturally arched, expressive without being sharp, giving her face an open, approachable warmth. A small, straight nose sat perfectly between high cheekbones that carried a subtle, natural glow, as if sunlight favored her without effort. Her soft pink lips had a delicate heart-like shape, rosy and smooth, often pressed together in thought before blooming into a shy, effortless smile, often curved into a quiet smile that felt sincere rather than practiced. Framing it all was her raven-black hair, thick and silky, falling in loose waves around her face.
Her face tapered into a delicate heart-shaped jawline, smooth and feminine, with just enough structure to hint at quiet strength. With a nice hourglass and elegant figure. She had an angel face but a devilish body.
"Mia Anderson". I murmured softly
The daughter of my target.
I forced myself to look away, irritation flashing through me. She wasn't supposed to stand out. She was just a means to an end. A door I needed to open.
Nothing more.
I kept walking.
---
My first lecture was crowded. I took a seat at the back, close to the exit—habit. The professor droned on about economics while I pretended to take notes, mentally mapping the room.
Then the door opened.
Murmurs rippled through the class.
She walked in late, eyes scanning for an empty seat—until they landed on me.
Again.
She hesitated.
Then smiled politely and moved toward the seat beside mine.
"Is this taken?" she asked.
Her voice was soft. Careful. Nothing like the people I dealt with.
"No," I replied, pulling my bag aside.
She sat down, close enough that I could catch the faint scent of her perfume. Clean. Floral. Normal. Smelt just like faint scent of Rose and milk.
Dangerous.
"I'm Mia," she said, offering her hand.
I paused for a fraction of a second before taking it.
"Evan."
Her grip was warm. Real.
Something twisted in my chest.
---
The lecture ended quickly. Students filed out, and I stood to leave, already planning my next move.
"Hey," she called softly.
I turned.
"Do you maybe want to grab coffee?" she asked, a hint of nervousness in her eyes. "You look… new."
This was it.
The opening I needed.
The mission starting exactly as planned.
I should've felt satisfaction.
Instead, I felt something else.
I studied her face—her hopeful expression, her unguarded trust.
And for the first time since I became an assassin, I hesitated.
"Sure," I said finally.
She smiled, brighter than the sun.
And just like that, I stepped onto a path I knew would ruin everything.
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