The Imposter Bride (Natalia and Magnus) novel Chapter 574

The city that never sleeps glittered in its nocturnal splendor, with kaleidoscopic neon lights flickering into the wee hours before reluctantly dimming.

Outside Jonas' room, a figure loomed—an elderly cleaning lady with a weathered face and fragile frame. She glanced around furtively, then swiftly used a card to unlock the sealed door and slipped inside in utter silence.

This "cleaning lady" was none other than Elisea, adorned with a masterful disguise, having stealthily shadowed Jonas throughout the entire day.

Driven by a mission that she was determined to accomplish swiftly, Elisea had meticulously mapped Jonas' movements, biding her time until he was thoroughly inebriated from an evening of indulgence. Only then did she follow him back to the hotel.

Tonight, she was adamant, and success was the only option. She had to seize the opportunity to complete her task and vanish from the scene.

Inside the room, all was quiet save for the faint sound of Jonas' light snoring.

Elisea had learned her lesson from a previous encounter with Jonas, and now approached with caution. She lingered at the doorway, listening intently until she was certain that Jonas was indeed sound asleep.

She tiptoed towards the bed, gazing at Jonas sprawled out, a silent, mocking smile crossing her face. "Don't blame me, Jonas," she thought. "I hope you'll be the last one I ever have to dispatch. Maybe in your next life, you'll choose to be someone ordinary and avoid making so many enemies."

Elisea paid a silent two-second tribute to the life she was about to extinguish, then drew her silenced pistol from her waistband and, without a moment's hesitation, aimed and fired at the bed.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The muted sound of the silenced gun barely disturbed the air, and just as Elisea's lips began to curl into a smile of victory, she realized the bed was empty. Stunned, she spun around, searching for Jonas, only to find herself suddenly enveloped in a searing embrace.

As an assassin, Elisea was unaccustomed to being so thoroughly outmaneuvered. She instinctively threw an elbow back at her assailant.

But Jonas, ever the strategist, had anticipated her move. Not only did he deftly counter it, but he also secured her arm tightly against him.

The potent scent of his cologne wafted into Elisea's nostrils, triggering an uncomfortable sensation throughout her body. Her heart pounded erratically, signaling the onset of an inexplicable turmoil. Elisea attributed the feeling to her unfamiliarity with such proximity, and with a flicker of ferocity in her eyes, she attempted a backward kick aimed squarely at Jonas' penis.

Her foot had barely lifted when it was caught by a vice-like grip, Jonas' warmth compelling her to instinctively struggle. "Bastard, let go!" she spat.

Jonas' hand trailed up from her ankle, and he exhaled a contented sigh, "Sweetheart, you're not getting away this time."

His breath tickled her ear, leaving Elisea momentarily dazed as her heart raced uncontrollably as if something momentous was about to occur. Seizing the moment of her distraction, Jonas swiftly flipped her around, pinning her beneath him on the plush bed, his body radiating heat.