RURO Chapter 27

Russian Roulette /̵͇̿̿/’̿’̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿

CHAPTER 27

 

At first, he thought it was just a random, out-of-the-blue call.
Hello? He waited for the caller to say their name, but in the end, no one answered.

Just as he was about to hang up the receiver—

—Ah… ahng!

A woman’s moan, unmistakably laced with arousal, seized all of his attention.

With the receiver held to his ear, Alex Reed listened to everything. Every sound. Every single syllable.

—Put it in… please… I’m begging you like this…

There was no need to wonder whose voice it was.
As he listened to Tessa’s moans, Alex Reed’s face hardened—frighteningly so. With his free hand, he absentmindedly spun a slender pen.

Tessa was having intense sex with Vicente. The scene of their intercourse felt vivid, as if it were happening right next to him. Vicente Zermo wasn’t forcing himself on her. A woman being taken by force wouldn’t moan like that.

He never hung up. He just kept listening—to Tessa crying uncontrollably.
The lewd moans spilling through the receiver felt like they were defiling the pristine order of his office.

And that’s exactly how he felt.

He knew he shouldn’t let it get to him, and yet, Tessa’s voice—crying beneath Vicente—grated on his nerves like hell.

Even knowing it was a provocation, keeping his composure was no easy feat.

Was it because there was so much at stake in this gamble?

Or… because Tessa had disappointed him?

Disappointed. What a joke. She was a Sentinel who had survived all her life without a Guide.
He should’ve known—of course she would crumble the moment she found her first.

What had he been expecting?

That Tessa Ambrose would endure it all like a woman made of steel?

Before long, Tessa reached her climax. As her cries grew louder, Alex sipped from a mug of bitter coffee.

His expression was as dark and sunken as the coffee itself.

A scream-like moan rang out—and then, silence. It sounded like someone was quietly sobbing.

Alex found himself entirely focused on the call from Saint Leroi. He pressed the receiver even closer to his ear, as if determined not to miss even the faintest sound.

The deputy director of an intelligence agency, listening intently to a woman’s moans during work—it would be absurd to anyone else. And yet, far from aroused, Alex was consumed by a chilling rage.

But what was he angry about?

At Vicente, for deliberately provoking him? Or at Tessa, crying like a fool beneath him?

What was certain was that being forced to listen to their entanglement had pushed him to the edge.
Stupid girl. How pathetic of me to have trusted you, even a little.

After several seconds of silence, Vicente’s voice came through the receiver.

—Mr. Reed. Are you listening?

His tone was composed and calm—far too refined for someone who had just finished with a woman. It was the complete opposite of Alex’s state of mind. Alex didn’t respond. But neither did he hang up. That, in itself, was his answer.

—My, Tessa.

There was a mocking edge to Vicente’s voice.

—Your superior heard every bit of that.

Tessa’s voice couldn’t be heard. What kind of expression was she wearing now? Countless images flashed through Alex’s mind.

Then Vicente continued.

—Your subordinate’s loyalty is quite impressive.

Bang!
Unable to bear it anymore, Alex slammed the receiver down violently. After a moment of deep breathing to calm his anger, he stood as if a decision had been made.

Grabbing his coat from the hanger, he left his office.

He was headed straight for Saint Leroi.
Not to visit Tessa—at least, not for now. He couldn’t face her. He didn’t want to raise a hand against her. Doing so would only serve Vicente’s interests.

Instead of his official government vehicle, he used an undercover car disguised as a taxi. Upon arrival, Alex headed straight into the building.

Saint Leroi was practically Vicente’s heart—his domain. His eyes and ears were everywhere. The citizens lived quietly, trading safety for the favor of their ruler.

Everything that happened here would be reported to him.

But could anyone truly say it was everything?

Just because the Intelligence Agency was cooperating with Vicente Zermo didn’t mean they trusted him. He was still considered a dangerous asset—one to be watched carefully.

Naturally, there were agents from the Agency embedded within Saint Leroi as well.

Alex was on his way to meet one of them now.

“Frederick.”

In the corner of a shabby bar, a man was dozing off.
Alex looked at the table cluttered with empty glasses and let out a sigh. Was he supposed to praise him for holding down the fort so well?

Even this unremarkable bar was a covert rendezvous point managed by the Intelligence Agency.

His eyes met the bartender’s. Alex was sure he had told him not to use this place unless absolutely necessary—they were planning to relocate it soon to avoid detection.

“Frederick. Get up.”

Already in a foul mood, Alex gave Frederick a nudge with his foot. Whether he’d truly been drunk or just pretending, the man woke up with a perfectly clear expression.

Upon recognizing Alex, Frederick stretched with a groan.

“Mr. Reed, what brings you here?”

“What do you think?”

“Hmm… you’ve finally come to pull me out of this rat hole?”

Alex gave a silent nod to the bartender—another of his subordinates—who had been watching nervously. The man took the hint and began clearing the empty glasses with a tray.

“So, this is your way of blending in? Playing the role of a useless drunk?”

“You’re the one who told me to blend into this place. Why act so surprised?”

“I also told you this place would be shut down soon.”

“Can’t a guy enjoy one last drink?”

Frederick still had the eyes of a capable agent—for now.
Alex had seen plenty of others whose gaze dulled within just a few months of being stationed in Saint Leroi. That’s how corrupting this place could be.

Frederick had an easygoing, approachable look—someone who could blend in anywhere. If he set his mind to it, he had a way of drawing people in. Once he broke through a target’s guard with that disarming charm, the real work of an agent began.

He was like poison hidden inside a soft panna cotta—gaining affection, infiltrating, then destroying from within.

Frederick was far more experienced than he appeared, and Alex had relied on him for quite some time.

But the task Alex was about to give him was unlike anything he’d assigned before.

Taking a seat across from him, Alex didn’t bother ordering a drink. He wouldn’t be staying long.

“I hope you’ve been keeping sharp while you’ve been here.”

“I know what I need to know, and I stay ignorant of what I shouldn’t. Same as always.”

“Did I ever mention Tessa Ambrose to you?”

“Tessa?”

Frederick tilted his head slightly, brown eyes drifting to the side as he searched his memory. Then his gaze returned to Alex.

“What about Ambrose?”

Before Alex could respond, Frederick asked,

“Is she… dead?”

“She’s alive. For now.”

“Ah.”

A gentle smile spread across Frederick’s lips.

“That’s good to hear.”

Alex, however, remained grim. Know only what you must, ignore the rest.
Frederick didn’t know that Tessa’s Guide was Vicente Zermo. As far as he was aware, she had been sent to Saint Leroi for a simple undercover mission, just like him.

In truth, Tessa’s connection to Vicente had been top secret—known only to a handful, including Alex.

Her disposal was also to be handled in secret.

“I want you to keep an eye on Tessa for a while.”

A good agent, Frederick didn’t ask unnecessary questions.

“Understood. It’ll be nice to finally have something meaningful to do.”

“Tessa is working directly under Zermo. The agency has high hopes for her. Meaning—we’re hoping she won’t betray us.”

Frederick listened quietly, then suddenly let out a skeptical laugh.

“You’re kidding.”

“It’s exactly what you think.”

“You mean Zermo, that bastard?”

The smile disappeared from Frederick’s face.

“So… who fell in love first?”