Twenty minutes later —
Prague.
A black sedan raced along the riverside road, tires screeching as gunfire echoed through the night.
Inside, Lena leaned out the driver's window, firing several shots toward the rear.
Behind her, three black SUVs closed in fast —
inside them, eight Sisterhood assassins, following Alex Cross's orders.
Every few seconds, one of the Sisters fired back at Lena's car —
but their shots were deliberately off target, missing the driver's seat by inches.
Bang! Bang!
Gunfire danced across the cobblestone streets.
The pursuit tore through bridges and narrow alleys — until finally, Lena's small car burst from under an old stone bridge and skidded to a stop outside the Continental Hotel.
She flung open the door, rolled across the ground, and landed face-first on the red carpet at the hotel entrance.
Her breathing was ragged, her clothes torn —
the perfect image of a desperate survivor.
Seeing this, the Sisterhood assassins simultaneously stopped firing.
Gunfire ceased.
The three SUVs braked hard to a halt.
The driver's door of the lead SUV swung open.
Alex Cross stepped out first — pistol in hand — and strode toward the hotel, boots thudding on the crimson carpet.
He looked down coldly at Lena, who lay sprawled on the ground, pretending to gasp for air.
"Lucky day for you," he muttered, voice low and sharp.
Then, without another glance, he walked straight through the revolving glass doors of the Continental.
Moments later, Anna, John Wick, Eve, and the eight Sisters exited their vehicles and followed him in.
As they passed Lena, Eve's eyes instinctively lingered on her face —
and at that moment, Lena looked up too.
For a fleeting instant, their gazes locked.
Something stirred in Eve's chest —
a strange, inexplicable sense of familiarity.
But before she could make sense of it, Anna guided her forward, leading the group inside.
They followed Cross toward the elevator and headed straight up to the top floor.
Suite 1002, Continental Hotel.
At the door stood the White Widow, elegantly poised, awaiting their arrival.
Behind her — Fox, Nikita, Becky, and ten elite assassins formed a protective cordon.
Ding—
The elevator doors slid open.
Cross stepped out first.
The White Widow immediately approached, looping her arm around his, her body pressing close as if greeting an old lover.
Then she wrinkled her nose, frowning playfully.
"Mr. Cross, you smell like gunpowder and sweat," she teased softly. "Go shower — now."
Without waiting for a reply, she tugged him into the suite.
Anna and the others exchanged knowing looks — some amused, others exasperated — and followed after.
John Wick, however, stayed behind.
He didn't even step off the elevator —
just hit the button for the ninth floor.
He needed a shower.
And twelve hours of sleep.
Steam filled the marble bathroom of Suite 1002.
Sliding into the warm bath, Alex Cross finally felt his muscles unclench.
Leaning back, he watched as the White Widow slowly undressed — graceful, deliberate — before stepping into the bath and settling herself across his lap.
Water rippled.
Her movements were slow, teasing, while Cross half-listened to the system interface flickering in his mind.
[System Store — Weekly Refresh]
Vehicle Enhancement Card (Blue) ×5
Instantly upgrades any vehicle to Level 3 ballistic protection.
Value: 30 Gold (90% off limited offer).
Assassin Recruitment Scroll (Purple) ×2
Recruit one assassin from another cinematic universe, Gold-tier, fully loyal.
Value: 90 Gold (80% off limited offer).
Energy Bars (Green) ×100
Tier-2 energy food; restores 20% stamina within 2 minutes.
Value: 150 Gold (70% off limited offer).
Armor Set (Purple) ×50
Full-body ballistic armor effective against 12mm rounds.
Weight: 75kg; Value: 200 Gold (50% off limited offer).
Vitality Serum ×10
Increases strength, speed, reflexes, and endurance by 10% (up to human limit).
Value: 300 Gold (95% off limited offer).
Cross smiled faintly.
This week's update was exactly what he needed.
After the last twenty-four hours in Prague, he'd realized something critical —
his killers, unlike him, couldn't maintain prolonged combat endurance.
The system seemed to have read his mind.
Without hesitation, he bought everything.
In his palm appeared five Vitality Serums — small, glowing vials.
He handed one each to White Widow, Anna, Fox, Nikita, and Becky.
"Drink it," he ordered simply.
They obeyed without hesitation.
Moments later, heat spread through their veins — strength returning, fatigue vanishing.
Anna exhaled in surprise; the exhaustion from the battle melted away.
But then something unexpected happened.
Nikita, originally a Purple-tier assassin, began to glow faintly —
a flash of gold light rippled across her skin.
The system chimed in Cross's head:
[Ding! Notification — Your Purple-tier assassin Nikita has advanced to Gold-tier.]
Cross's eyes lit up.
The Vitality Serum had pushed her over the edge —
elevating her into the ranks of the elite.
A new top-tier killer under his command.
A rush of satisfaction hit him like adrenaline.
The White Widow immediately noticed the shift —
her voice a soft gasp, her eyes hazy with curiosity and something else entirely…
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If you're interested, you can read advanced chapters:
pat reon .com / Samorash