THE MAFIA ALPHA'S HEARTSTRINGS

THE OFFER

THIRD PERSON POV

Katherina's unsettling encounter with the four armed police officers left her reeling. After informing them of her kidnapping, their harmonious laughter sent an uncomfortable chill down her spine. She couldn't fathom what they found so amusing about her situation.

" Aren't you guys going to arrest him?" Katherina asked, her distasteful frown evident.

One of the officers responded mockingly, "Oh sorry... We will do that right now. Would you like us to order you a vegetable salad as well?" The others burst into laughter.

Katherina's anger flared. "I'm sorry, is something funny?" she asked, her tone laced with annoyance.

Another officer chimed in, still chuckling, "You mean apart from your stupidity? Nothing."

Katherina's eyes narrowed, her gaze shifting to Joaquin, who leaned back on his car with an expressionless demeanor. His calmness only added to her frustration.

The oldest officer yelled angrily, "You know what is unprofessional? A thief like yourself telling us how to do our job."

Katherina's face reddened with anger. "A thief... Excuse me... I refuse to be insulted by the likes of you."

The officer's expression turned menacing. "Watch your mouth, young lady, or I will break all your teeth."

Katherina's fear rendered her speechless. She wondered what was wrong with these police officers. Were they mad or something?

The officer turned to Joaquin, saying, "Boss, just give us the go-ahead, and we will fix her for you."

Katherina's confusion deepened. Who was this officer referring to as "boss"? SOP3 David Solomon name tag indicated he was top-ranked among the others.

Joaquin's response sent a chill down Katherina's spine. "No need, boys. I can handle her just fine. It appears I have been too lenient with her, but that will end tonight."

The officers departed, leaving Katherina alone with Joaquin. The rest of the journey back to his place was quiet, with occasional glares from Katherina.

When they arrived, Joaquin commanded, "Go to your room."

Katherina's bladder protested, and she informed him, "I... need... to... use... the restroom."

Joaquin's gaze narrowed, his blood-red eyes seeming to bore into her face. After a moment, he relented, "Follow me."

He led her to the restroom, saying, "Two minutes."

As Katherina entered the restroom, she spotted an air vent above her. A crazy idea formed in her mind – she could use this air vent as an escape route.

With her superior athletic skills, despite her broken ankle, and wound. Katherina estimated it would take her at most two minutes to escape to the outside.

She grabbed some hair gel and began unscrewing the screws. Liquid soap proved excellent for seamless opening of partially loose screws. Within 30 seconds, she had completely unscrewed the vent.

Katherina hopped in, ignoring the pain, and made her way to the outside. Finally, she was free, and a wave of excitement overwhelmed her.

However, her triumph was short-lived. Joaquin's mocking tone cut through the air, "You certainly took your pretty time getting here."

Katherina turned to see Joaquin seated on an armchair, a novel in hand. It appeared he had been waiting for her.

"How can you predict my every move without warning?" Katherina wondered, a sense of unease settling in.

Joaquin's gaze locked onto hers, his deep, dark eyes seeming to bore into her soul. "You know, for someone with a broken ankle, and a wound. You are pretty light on your feet. One could even take you for a spy. Tell me, Katherina, are you a spy or just a skilled thief?"

Katherina's fear gave way to defiance. "You tell me, which do you think I am?" she asked calmly, her eyes locked onto Joaquin's.

Joaquin's response was simple yet ominous. "I think you are... neither. At least, not yet."

Katherina's heart skipped a beat as Joaquin's words hung in the air, heavy with implication.

"What does that mean?" she asked sincerely, her curiosity piqued.

Joaquin's smile was enigmatic. "It means I have a proposition for you."

Katherina's instincts screamed warning, but she played along, intrigued. "Help me recover my gold bars, and in exchange, I will let you go."

Two things didn't sit well with Katherina: Joaquin knew where his gold bars were, so why had he been tormenting her all this while? And second, he was just going to let her go like that – highly impossible. The Joaquin she knew was a ruthless murderer.

Katherina's skepticism was evident. "You would let me go, unharmed?"

Joaquin's expression remained impassive. "Of course. That's if you do everything according to plan."

Katherina's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with possibilities. She had to play along, at least for now.

"So, do we have a deal?" Joaquin asked, his right hand stretching out in a gesture of agreement.

Katherina hesitated for a moment before shaking his hand. "Deal."

Joaquin's smile was cold, calculated. "I'm glad we understand each other. You're no longer a prisoner here... let's just say you're a VIP prisoner, who can move around only with my permission."

Katherina's unease grew, but she knew she had to maintain the facade. "And on that note, get some rest. We have a busy day tomorrow."

Joaquin's parting words sent a shiver down Katherina's spine. "Katherina."

She turned, her heart racing. "Yes?"

Joaquin's eyes seemed to bore into her soul. "If you try to outsmart me, I will kill you as mercilessly as possible. The cops wouldn't be able to identify your torn flesh."

Katherina's fear was palpable, but she knew she had to keep her wits about her. She had to gain Joaquin's trust, no matter the cost.

_____________________________

Meanwhile, at the Special Occurrence Agency Headquarters (SOAH), a secret organization dedicated to protecting humans from the supernatural, a meeting was underway.

General Gary Rivera, Katherina's father, addressed the board members, his expression grim. "This is the seventh case this month. Each victim more disfigured than the last."

Second Lieutenant Salvador Samuel passed around photos of half-eaten corpses. "As you can see, these victims were once part of THE ONES at some point but fell out after some minor problems."

General Rivera's anger was evident. "We have to find a way to curb these murders and fast. We can't keep losing valuable witnesses like this. Joaquin must be brought to book."

Lieutenant Samuel nodded in agreement. "Agreed. That's where Agent Ice Heart of the CIA comes in. She will be the one to gather the evidence necessary to put Joaquin behind bars."

General Rivera's expression turned somber. "That is, if she lives long enough to do so."

The room fell silent, the weight of General Rivera's words hanging in the air.

One of the board members spoke up, confusion etched on his face. "General, why do you say so? Do you doubt Agent Ana's abilities?"

General Rivera's response was laced with concern. "I don't doubt Ice Heart abilities. I am simply saying her impulsiveness might be her own undoing."

The room erupted into a mixture of concerned murmurs and defensive arguments. It was clear that General Rivera's doubts about his own daughter's abilities had struck a nerve.

As the meeting drew to a close, Lieutenant Samuel approached General Rivera, his expression serious. "What were you thinking, sending your daughter to the lion's den without informing her of the lion there?"

General Rivera's guilt was evident, but he remained defensive. "I am sure she can handle herself. She is a strong woman."

Lieutenant Samuel's tone turned bitter. "That's not the point. The point is your hate for your daughter has gone overboard. It isn't enough that you treat her like trash, you drugged your favorite daughter with sedatives so Aliana would be forced to do this undercover mission, and now you couldn't even give her a heads up. For Christ's sake, Joaquin isn't any ordinary werewolf. He is a Lycan..."

" Why are you making me look like the bad guy. That woman is the real monster, you know. She pushed her own twin down a flight stairs, I only help preserve my poor Ari's life by keeping her unconscious. That Ana you are trying to defend took everything from me:- my joy, my happiness, my peace, she took my wife from me, and for that I will never forgive her " General Rivera yells.

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