Black Shot: Trapping The King

Chapter 1

The shrill ringing of my phone pulled me out of my sleep. I groaned and reached for it on the bedside table before answering.

Leo Ramirez:

"Wake up already! Look at the time. The boss might beat you to the headquarters again."

I let out a sleepy sigh.

Lia Rodriguez:

"Mmm... What is it, Leo? You're disturbing my sleep. Fine, I'm getting up."

After hanging up, I quickly got out of bed, took a shower, got dressed, and prepared a simple breakfast.

By the way, I currently live in one of the hotels owned by the Montes family because I work for Mr. Wakin Buena Montes. I also own a car and a big bike, both of which I bought with the money I earned from my missions.

Today, I was dressed entirely in black—a black tank top, black skirt-style shorts, a black leather jacket, and knee-high black boots. Black has always been my favorite color. It suits both my personality and my job.

As I rode my black motorcycle toward the Black Shot headquarters, I figured it was about time to introduce myself.

My name is Lia Rodriguez. I'm twenty years old, with waist-length black hair and a height of 5'6".

My parents died when I was young. The couple who adopted and raised me also passed away after battling cancer.

I moved to Manila with only one goal—to uncover the truth behind my parents' murder.

Joining Black Shot changed my life. It gave me a purpose, a stable job, and the resources I needed to continue my investigation.

During my search for answers, I discovered something that completely changed my life.

My biological father had belonged to one of the wealthiest families in the Philippines.

Even worse, I learned that some of his own relatives were involved in his death.

The inheritance that rightfully belonged to my father was stolen after he was murdered.

I still don't know the whole truth.

But I know one thing.

The day will come when those responsible pay for everything they did.

A few minutes later, I arrived at the Black Shot headquarters.

After parking my motorcycle, I walked into the massive warehouse.

Although it had only two floors, the building was enormous. Beneath it was a hidden underground facility where weapons, classified documents, and records of completed missions were securely stored.

The training area was already alive with activity. Agents practiced taekwondo, arnis, boxing, archery, firearms handling, and close-combat techniques.

I headed straight to the second floor and knocked on the office door.

"Come in," a familiar voice called.

As I entered, Mr. Wakin Buena Montes looked up from his desk and gave me a faint smile.

Wakin Buena Montes:

"You're here, Lia. Have a seat."

I sat down across from him.

Lia Rodriguez:

"Good morning, Boss. I heard you wanted to see me. Is there a new mission for me?"

He folded his hands on the desk and looked at me seriously.

Wakin Buena Montes:

"Yes. But this mission is different."

I waited for him to continue.

"I've assigned several bodyguards to my second son, but every single one of them has quit because of his attitude."

A small smile escaped my lips.

"I want you to become his new bodyguard."

I blinked before letting out a quiet laugh.

Lia Rodriguez:

"That's it? I thought it was something much more serious."

He nodded.

"So... do you accept the assignment?"

"Of course, Boss. I'd be happy to."

A look of relief crossed his face.

"Good."

He opened a drawer and handed me a thick file.

"This contains my son's profile."

Then he placed a black card on the desk.

"And this is your Black Card. It already has ₱1,000,000 in it. Consider it a bonus for accepting the assignment."

I stared at the card in surprise.

One million pesos?

I hadn't expected that.

I accepted it with both hands and gave him a respectful nod.

Lia Rodriguez:

"Thank you, Boss. I'll take good care of your son."

He smiled faintly.

"I hope so."

At that moment, I had no idea that what seemed like a simple assignment would become the beginning of the biggest turning point in my life.

After leaving the office, I couldn't hide the smile on my face.

Who wouldn't be happy after receiving a ₱1,000,000 bonus?

As I walked across the warehouse parking lot, someone called out to me.

"Lia!"

I turned around and saw Theo Tolentino, one of my fellow Black Shot agents. He was leaning against a sleek black Holden Commodore, casually tossing a set of car keys into the air.

He caught them effortlessly before walking toward me.

Theo Tolentino:

"Here. Boss said this will be your official vehicle while you're assigned to his son."

He handed me the keys.

I looked at the car with an impressed smile.

"Not bad."

Theo chuckled.

"Oh, and one more thing."

His expression suddenly turned serious.

"The Rodriguez family is returning to the Philippines."

The smile on my face slowly disappeared.

I took a deep breath before meeting his eyes.

Lia Rodriguez:

"Let them come."

Theo raised an eyebrow.

"You're not planning to make a move?"

"Not yet."

I tightened my grip on the car keys.

"I still don't have enough evidence."

After a brief silence, I continued,

"For now, I want every piece of information you can gather about them. Their movements, businesses, allies—everything."

Theo nodded.

"You got it, Queen."

Without another word, I got into the driver's seat and started the engine.

My first assignment had officially begun.

As I drove toward my destination, I opened the folder Mr. Montes had given me.

It contained the profile of the person I was supposed to protect.

Name: Kairo Montes

Age: 17

Height: 5'5"

Occupation: Grade 12 Student

Skills: Basic Martial Arts

Hobbies: Motorcycle and Street Car Racing

Known For: Frequently getting into fights and causing trouble.

I couldn't help but shake my head.

"So, you're really that troublesome, huh?" I murmured.

Several minutes later, I arrived at one of the most prestigious private schools in Manila.

Students were already leaving the campus.

My eyes quickly found Kairo.

He was standing with a group of boys around his age, laughing as if they didn't have a single problem in the world.

Surrounding them were dozens of girls screaming and trying to get their attention.

One girl confidently walked through the crowd.

She was beautiful, elegant, and clearly popular.

According to the whispers around me, her name was Alexa Salvador—the school's famous Queen Bee.

She exchanged a few words with Kairo before walking away with the other girls.

Once the crowd had dispersed, only Kairo and his friends remained.

A moment later, Kairo took out his phone.

He was probably calling the bodyguard who usually picked him up.

My phone immediately started ringing.

I glanced at the screen.

Incoming Call: Kairo Montes

Instead of answering, I smiled mischievously and pressed the car horn.

Beep! Beep!

Everyone turned toward my car.

I lowered the driver's side window and looked directly at Kairo.

"Kairo Montes," I called calmly. "Your ride is here. Get in."

His friends stared at me in complete surprise.

"Dude..." one of them whispered.

"Your new bodyguard is gorgeous."

Another laughed.

"I wouldn't mind having a bodyguard like her."

Kairo simply frowned.

Without saying a word, he walked toward the car, opened the passenger door, and got in.

The moment he closed the door, silence filled the vehicle.

Neither of us spoke.

It seemed we were both waiting to see who would break the silence first.

Neither of us did.

The drive to the Montes Mansion was silent.

Kairo sat by the window with his arms crossed, completely ignoring me. He didn't even bother to glance in my direction.

I simply focused on the road.

From the moment I accepted this assignment, I already knew it wouldn't be easy.

The file hadn't exaggerated.

He really was difficult.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the enormous Montes Mansion.

The black iron gates slowly opened as the guards recognized the car.

I pulled into the driveway and stopped in front of the main entrance.

Without a word, Kairo reached for the door handle.

"Wait."

He paused but didn't look at me.

I leaned back in my seat and folded my arms.

"From today onward, I'm your bodyguard."

Still, he remained silent.

"I don't care if you like me or not. My job is to keep you alive."

He finally turned toward me, his expression cold and irritated.

"So?"

"So," I continued calmly, "I expect you to cooperate."

He let out a sarcastic laugh.

"Cooperate?"

He shook his head.

"You must be joking."

I raised an eyebrow.

"I don't take orders from strangers."

Neither do I."

His eyes narrowed.

"Listen carefully," he said in a low voice. "Every bodyguard my father hired ended up quitting."

He leaned slightly closer.

"They couldn't handle me."

A faint smile appeared on my lips.

"Really?"

He smirked.

"If you're my new bodyguard..."

His voice turned even colder.

"I'll make sure you're gone within a week."

For a moment, we simply stared at each other.

Then I smiled.

Not because I was intimidated—

but because I found him amusing.

"I've dealt with assassins, terrorists, and mafia syndicates," I replied confidently.

"I think I can handle one stubborn seventeen-year-old."

His expression darkened.

Without another word, he got out of the car and slammed the door behind him.

I watched him walk toward the mansion without looking back.

What an interesting kid.

Just as I was about to drive away, my phone vibrated.

It was Theo.

"Lia," he said the moment I answered. "I've started gathering information on the Rodriguez family."

"What did you find?"

"Not much yet."

His voice became serious.

"But something feels off."

I frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"They've been moving quietly these past few years."

There was a brief pause.

"Too quietly."

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.

People like them never stayed quiet without a reason.

"I'll keep investigating," Theo continued.

"I'll send you everything once I confirm the information."

"Good."

After ending the call, I rested my head against the seat for a moment.

First, I had to protect Kairo.

Second...

I had to uncover the truth behind my parents' deaths.

Little did I know that those two missions would soon become connected.

And when that happened...

There would be no turning back.