Hundred Million Bounty on the Billionaire’s Wife Chapter 09

Hundred Million Bounty on the Billionaire’s Wife Chapter 09

Grace’s POV 

I step off the bus and head toward Damien’s estate. 

Strange how light I feel. Almost happy. That weight I‘ ve been carrying for two years is gone. 

Damien’s estate looms in the darkness. The heavy doors swing open before I reach them. Damien stands on the stone steps in a black suit, that familiar cold smile on his face. 

“Well, well. Look who finally decided to show up at my doorstep.” His voice drips with mockery. “Ready 

for what you did two years ago?” 

to pay I look up at him, surprisingly calm. “Damien, you always talked too much. Let’s just get this over with.” 

He leads me through hallways into a massive ballroom. Marble floors, crystal chandeliers. 

A middle–aged woman in black robes emerges from the shadows. Steel–gray hair, cold eyes. The adjudicator. 

“Damien Cross and Swans, your trial by combat begins now.” Her voice echoes through the ballroom, The rules are simple, Stand back to back. I count to ten. You each walk ten paces, turn, and fire. Only one leaves alive.” 

She sets two identical revolvers on the table. 

“Choose your weapons.” 

Damien practically lunges for the right one. I pick up the left. 

The second it hits my palm, the weight feels wrong. Too light. This gun’s been tampered with. Either blanks or nothing at all. 

My expression doesn’t change. I check the weapon like everything’s normal. Damien can barely contain his excitement, thinking I have no idea what’s coming. 

“Ready?” the adjudicator asks. 

We nod. She gestures toward the center of the ballroom. 

We stand back to back. I can feel Damien practically vibrating with anticipation. 

“Ten!” 

I start walking forward. 

“Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two!” 

“One! Turn!” 

We spin at the same time, raising our guns, Damien’s already got that smug smile plastered on his face. 

I pull the trigger without hesitation. 

Click. 

Nothing. Just an empty mechanical sound. 

“Ha! Did you really think I’d play fair?” Damien laughs like he’s heard the funniest joke in the world.” 

This is what happens when you cross me!” 

He raises his weapon, aiming straight at my heart His finger moves to the trigger. 

“Time’s up, legendary assassin!” 

I’m not scared. I just look at him calmly, drop the useless gun at my feet. 

‘Damien, you never understood what Swans actually meant, did you? We were never working alone.” 

Damien’s finger freezes on the trigger. Confusion flashes across his face. 

A gunshot cracks from the shadows, echoing through the air. Damien’s expression freezes, that smug smile turning to shock. A black hole appears in the center of his forehead. Blood starts to drip. 

His body sways, then crashes to the ground. 

The adjudicator spins around, scanning the room,” 

Who’s there? Show yourself!” 

Footsteps echo from the far end of the ballroom. 

Someone emerges from the shadows. 

Black tactical gear. A familiar figure. The sniper rifle in her hands still smoking. 

Raven. 

She lowers the weapon, gives me that smile I’ve been missing for two years. 

Swans was never one person,” she says. 

“I work out front,” I say clearly to the room, “Raven works from the shadows.” 

“We’re Swans,” Raven adds. “He put a bounty on Swans, didn’t he? Swans issued this challenge.” 

The adjudicator looks down at her tablet, then at Damien’s corpse, then at both of us. 

“The High Table rules that Swans has won the trial by combat. All status is immediately restored. All bounties and contracts on Swan’s are immediately canceled.” 

I walk toward Raven. When we meet, she pulls me into her arms. 

“I thought I lost you forever,” I say softly against her shoulder. 

“Never,” she whispers back. “We’re partners.” 

We walk out of the ballroom together, leaving Damien‘ 

body behind. The night air feels clean. 

“On the bus, I didn’t get to ask,” I say as we cross through the estate gardens. “Where have you been these two years? I thought that explosion…” 

“It did blow me away, but I landed on the other side of the river. Someone pulled me out. I had amnesia, couldn’t remember anything, until Damien put that bounty on you. Then it all came flooding back.” 

“So you came straight here?” 

“How could I let my partner face this alone? Swans is two people. Always has been.” 

We stand under an old oak tree, moonlight filtering through the branches. I feel lighter than I have in years. 

“Raven… let’s retire.” 

She looks at me, surprised at first, then understanding, then relieved. “I was hoping you’d say that.” 

“Remember those Amazon rainforests I used to talk about? The ones you read about in those travel magazines?” 

“You want to actually see them?” 

“No more jobs. No more revenge. Just two people who want to see what the world looks like when nobody’s trying to kill us.” 

Raven smiles, genuine and warm. “Sounds perfect.” 

We walk away from the estate, two shadows moving toward the future. Behind us, everything we were. Ahead, everything we might become., 

END