Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 430: Chapter 430

The car exploded violently. Zoe and Shawn watched the fireball light up the street, knowing those charred bodies weren't telling them anything.
"Let's go. We still have places to be," Zoe said, walking away from the inferno with Shawn right behind her.
Zoe and Shawn walked into an underground casino packed with gamblers. Some were cheering over their big wins, while others looked like zombies after losing their life savings.
They headed to a room at the end of a long hallway. Zoe knocked on the door, but she was tapping out Morse code.
Someone inside got the message and cracked the door quick. "Boss's expecting you. Come in."
Inside, a man was sprawled on a couch. He was average—a bland mustache, unremarkable curly hair, looked like his parents were from different continents.
"So which one's Aiden?" the man said.
"Me," Zoe answered.
He looked her up and down, his eyes narrowing in surprise. "A woman? I heard Aiden was supposed to be—"
"Doesn't matter who I am. Let's talk business," Zoe cut him off.
Aiden was the alias Zoe used within the Wadden Group. Only those who'd been with her from the beginning knew her real name.
Zoe eyeballed the guy and flicked a card onto his table. "Money's all there. So, are we doing business or not?"
Lance gestured to one of his thugs, who swiped the card. The number on the reader's screen was exactly right. A wide, greasy smile split Lance's face. "Just covering my bases. Can't be too careful about imposters.
"Then again, with your kind of bankroll, nobody's got the balls to pretend. Name's Lance, by the way."
Zoe stared Lance down, then snatched a glass off the table and crushed it in her bare hand. Shards tinkled onto the table. Lance's smile vanished. He got the message.
"The money's good, so I keep my word." Lance waved his hand, and his boys dragged a man over.
Zoe recognized him right away. It was the leader of the hit squad she'd cut loose before.
"Fancy meeting you here," he said, trying to smile through his busted-up face.
"This recent attempt," Zoe said, her voice dangerously low. "Was that you?"
"No! God, no, I swear," he yelped. "After last time? I wouldn't take a contract on you for all the money in the world. It was another crew."
He was scared of getting his ass kicked, so he spilled everything. "Someone put a bounty on your head on the dark web. That's why they came after you. I swear, I had nothing to do with it. These guys grabbed me off the street."
Zoe turned to Lance, who started babbling immediately. "Look, my reach only goes so far," he said quickly. "This guy's all I managed to grab. I don't have eyes on every hit squad in the city."
She let his words hang in the silence. "One pathetic rat," she said, her voice dripping with contempt. "That's not what I paid for."
"Relax, relax. I'm not trying to con you here," Lance said, forcing a greasy smile. "That was just the appetizer. This is the main course."
Zoe's eyes narrowed as he produced an elegantly embossed card. It was the invitation to the underground auction.
"I need more," Zoe said.
Lance's smile tightened. "More costs more."
"No," Zoe said, her voice leaving no room for argument.
Lance crossed his arms. "Then we're done here. Door's that way."
Zoe didn't waste words, just shot Shawn a glance. He moved like smoke, hopping over the coffee table and getting in Lance's face.
Lance's men reached for their guns, but they were hopelessly outmatched. Shawn had stripped Lance of his own weapon and had the cold steel pressed against Lance's forehead.
Lance's crew was still fumbling with their safeties while Shawn had already flicked his off. One squeeze and Lance was brain soup.
Lance's tough guy act crumbled fast. "Whoa, let's talk this out."