Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 407: Chapter 407

Derek's massive frame stood rock-solid, but Zoe was nowhere to be seen. The crowd collectively let out a sigh of relief.
"Told you that bitch was done for!"
"Derek can crush a skull with one punch! That bitch must have died a miserable death by now."
"You dare just waltz into our den? Better be ready to get your ass kicked!"
The assassin leader nodded in satisfaction. "Derek, finish off the other one too. Then drag their bodies out and dispose of them."
The leader barked out the order, but Derek remained completely still. Frowning in displeasure, the leader snapped, "What's wrong with you? Didn't you hear my command?"
Derek remained motionless. Only then did everyone start to sense that something was off.
Normally, Derek would throw his arms up and gloat after a win. But this time, he just stood there, frozen in place.
'Could something be wrong?' As speculation rippled through the crowd, a petite figure—Zoe—flashed past Derek, and in the next instant, Derek's massive body crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Derek gave one final twitch and then lay completely still.
One of the assassins let out a horrified shriek.
Zoe fixed the leader with an icy stare. "Hand over the client list, and I might spare your lives."
Zoe was here to get to the bottom of who wanted her dead.
The assassin leader seethed with resentment. If he backed down now, he'd become a laughingstock among his men. He wouldn't be able to maintain his authority as their leader after that.
Seizing the moment while Zoe was distracted, the leader suddenly whipped out his gun, cocked and fired. A bullet streaked toward Zoe's forehead at point-blank range.
Seeing this, all the assassins were certain Zoe was a goner. After all, no one could dodge a bullet.
Zoe didn't even bother to dodge. Instead, she simply yanked the fallen giant up as a human shield.
Derek, already hanging on by a thread, took another bullet. This one finished him off for good.
Zoe heaved Derek's corpse and hurled it straight at the leader. Panicked, the leader fired wildly—multiple shots thudding into Derek's lifeless body—but nothing could stop the inevitable as the massive deadweight came crashing down on him.
Seizing the moment while the leader was pinned down, Zoe dashed forward and pressed the leader's own dagger against his throat.
The leader stammered, "Please, don't kill me!"
Zoe fixed the leader with an icy stare. "The list."
"Someone! Get me the list now!" the leader barked, his voice laced with panic. At his command, one of the men scrambled to retrieve it.
Shawn strode over, took the client list, and scanned it carefully, finally locating the hit contract on Zoe.
"What did you find?" Zoe asked.
Shawn shook his head. "She used an alias."
The leader blurted out, "No one around here uses their real name."
Zoe pressed on. "You must've vetted your client. Spit it out—who is she?"
The leader wondered, "How the hell do you know our code?"
Zoe drew her dagger across the leader's skin, blood instantly welling up. "Talk," she demanded coldly.
The leader stammered, "Her name's Jennifer. She's Francis' woman. That's all I could dig up."
Zoe was sure she didn't recognize Jennifer, but with this new lead, they could finally start investigating.
After getting what they came for, Zoe and Shawn left the cabin behind.
"Why not just destroy it?" Shawn asked.
Zoe said coolly, "They're just a bunch of assassins. As long as there's a market for killing, there will always be people willing to trade their lives for money."
Zoe had been an assassin herself, so she knew all too well. This was a line of work that could never truly be stamped out.
Besides, those assassins were just risking their lives for money. One slip-up and they were dead on the job. Those who survived every mission were a rare breed. Even if Zoe didn't take them out, their days were numbered anyway.