Faro woke up to a ray of sunlight piercing through the curtains, hitting him square in the eyes. He groaned, his head pounding slightly as he shifted in the unfamiliar bed. The scent of expensive perfume lingered on the sheets. Then, as his senses sharpened, he realized something else—beside him, Ronda lay fast asleep, snoring softly.
And she was naked.
A sinking feeling hit Faro as he became painfully aware of his own lack of clothing. His mind raced, trying to recall how he ended up in this situation. The last thing he remembered was escorting Ronda back to Cal Mansion after the horrifying attack from Murder Dog. They had taken the metro, she had invited him in for tea, and then… things got blurry.
A sharp knock at the bedroom door startled him.
“Ms. Ronda, morning tea, dear. For you and your male friend,” came the calm yet firm voice of Mrs. Wudsom, the mansion’s ever-composed butler.
Faro’s breath hitched. Mrs. Wudsom knew he was here—which meant Cal could find out at any moment. His body tensed. He had to get out of here, fast.
He turned to Ronda and shook her gently. “Ronda, wake up!” he whispered urgently.
She groaned and buried her face in the pillow. “Five more minutes…” she mumbled groggily.
Faro clenched his jaw. “This isn’t funny. We’re both naked, and your butler just brought us tea!”
Ronda lazily cracked one eye open, then smirked. “Mmm, sounds like a good morning to me.”
Faro felt a wave of frustration. He wasn’t even sure if anything had actually happened between them. “Ronda, what the hell happened last night?”
Ronda yawned and stretched, completely unbothered. “You were exhausted. I offered you a drink, we talked, and then… well, you ended up in my bed. Maybe you were just really, really comfortable?”
Before he could demand more answers, Mrs. Wudsom’s voice rang again, firmer this time. “Ms. Ronda, breakfast will be served in twenty minutes. And Mr. Cal is expected home shortly.”
Faro’s heart sank. If Cal found him here—naked in bed with Ronda—it wouldn’t end well.
Ronda smirked again. “Guess we should get dressed then, huh?”
Faro muttered a curse under his breath. “No kidding.”
Faro ran a hand down his face, trying to calm the storm of thoughts raging in his mind. He turned to Ronda, his voice low but firm.
“Ronda, seriously. Can you check and see if we… you know… actually did anything last night?”
Ronda, still lounging under the silk sheets, raised an amused eyebrow. “You really don’t remember?”
Faro clenched his jaw. “I wouldn’t be asking if I did.”
With a smirk, Ronda threw the covers off herself and stretched, completely at ease. She patted herself down dramatically, then sat up and peeked under the sheets.
“Hmm…” she mused, tilting her head. “No soreness, no weird feelings… and you didn’t leave any scratches on me. I’d say no, we didn’t do anything.”
Faro exhaled in relief, then frowned. “Then why the hell are we both naked?”
Ronda grinned mischievously. “Beats me. Maybe you just got hot and stripped?”
Faro buried his face in his hands. “I swear, Ronda…”
Before he could say more, Mrs. Wudsom knocked again, this time with a sharper tone.
“Ms. Ronda, I will be opening the door in five seconds if you do not respond.”
Faro’s eyes widened. “Shit—!”
Ronda chuckled and reached for her robe. “Relax, let me handle this.”
Later that Afternoon.
Faro sat at the lavish marble dining table in Rita’s penthouse, slowly sipping his fresh juice while Rita gracefully spread butter over a slice of toast. The warm morning sunlight poured through the tall glass windows, casting a golden glow over the room.
Albort stood attentively by their side, his hands neatly folded in front of him, always the silent observer.
“You look like you had a rough night,” Rita remarked, eyeing Faro over the rim of her coffee cup.
Faro exhaled, rubbing his temples. “You have no idea. I woke up in Ronda’s bed this morning… naked.”
Rita raised an amused eyebrow. “And here I thought you’d sworn off drama.”
Albort cleared his throat slightly, suppressing what might have been a smirk.
Faro shook his head. “It wasn’t what it looked like—at least, I hope not. We don’t remember anything from last night. Woke up to her butler knocking at the door with tea like it was a normal morning.”
Rita took a bite of her toast and chewed thoughtfully. “And you believe nothing happened?”
Faro sighed. “Ronda checked. She seemed sure we didn’t do anything.”
Rita smirked. “You let her check?”
Faro groaned. “Aunty, can we not?”
Rita chuckled, but her expression turned more serious as she set down her cup. “You should be careful, Faro. Things are shifting in this city. Mr. Clown, Flint, and now Murder Dog showing up at a ramen stall? It’s all connected. And I don’t believe in coincidences.”
Albort nodded in agreement. “Perhaps it would be wise to watch your movements more closely, Master Faro. Someone knew exactly where you would be last night.”
Faro exhaled sharply. “Yeah… I was thinking the same thing.” He picked up his fork and stared at his plate, his appetite fading. “I need to find out who’s tracking me.”
Rita leaned back in her chair, her green eyes calculating. “Then let’s set a trap, shall we?”
RING! RING! it was the door bell.
Albort glanced at the security monitor and turned to Rita. “It’s Master Cal, madam.”
Rita raised an eyebrow. “Cal? At this hour?”
Faro put down his fork. “Oh damn! let him in Albort. I have to face him like a man.”
Albort nodded and walked to the door, opening it to reveal Cal Faros, dressed sharply in a dark suit, his expression unreadable. He stepped inside, his sharp eyes scanning the room before landing on Faro.
Rita, catching Faro’s unease, signed the document with a smirk. “Relax, sweety” she said, “If my son had come here to fight you, I am right here by your side.”
“Morning mother, cousin,” Cal greeted coolly.
Rita leaned back in her chair. “Morning. What brings you here this early in the morning my adorable son?”
Cal pulled out a sleek folder and placed it on the dining table in front of Rita. “Mother, I need your signature on this,” he said, sliding a pen her way.
Rita took the folder and skimmed through the pages. “Another real estate acquisition?” she mused.
Cal nodded. “A luxury tower in the Woldor business district. You’re still a joint signatory on some of the older deals, so I need your approval before moving forward.”
Faro, who had been tense since Cal’s arrival, exhaled subtly. So Cal wasn’t here because of Ronda. But he still kept his guard up.
Cal gave Faro a glance, unreadable but lingering for a moment longer than comfortable. Then he simply took the folder and stood up. “I appreciate it. I’ll let you know when the deal is finalized.”
As he turned to leave, Albort escorted him to the door, and just before stepping out, Cal paused. Without looking back, he said, “Take care, Faro.” Then he walked out.
Faro remained silent as the door shut. Rita chuckled, sipping her coffee. “If he ever does come charging at you darling, let me know about it.”
RING! RING! Rita’s penthouse landline phone was ringing.
Albort picked up the receiver. “Miss Rita’s residence, good morning,” he greeted in his usual polite tone.
From the other end, Ronda’s voice was laced with urgency. “Morning Albort, is Faro around? I really need to speak with him urgently.”
Albort turned toward Faro and gestured with the phone. “Master Faro, Miss Ronda wishes to speak with you.”
Faro hesitated for a moment, his mind flashing back to that morning—waking up naked beside her, the uncertainty of what had really happened. He glanced at Rita, who was calmly sipping her coffee, clearly listening.
Taking the phone from Albort, he sighed. “Hey Ronda, what’s up?”
“Faro, we need to talk. Can you come over tonight again? Cal will be out as usual.” Her voice was softer now, almost cautious.
Faro ran a hand through his hair. “Tonight? Again? talk about what Ronda?”
There was a pause, then she said, “Not over the phone. Just come. We will talk over your favorite dinner menu Garlic Sauce Chicken.”
Faro exhaled sharply. “Fine. I’ll be there around 8ish.” He hung up and turned to Rita, who raised an eyebrow at him.
“A date again, so soon?” she teased.
Faro rolled his eyes. “It’s not like that. She has something very important information to share.”
Rita smirked. “Oh, no doubt. But does she really?”
Rita set her coffee cup down and folded her arms, her green eyes narrowing at Faro. “Listen to me, Faro. Whatever is going on between you and Ronda—it’s dangerous.”
Faro frowned. “I don’t even know what’s going on, Aunty.”
“That’s exactly the problem.” Rita leaned forward. “You and Ronda… you have a history. But now she’s living in Cal’s mansion. He’s Kestrel. And you know damn well everyone is watching everything.”
Faro clenched his jaw. “You think Cal will soon find out about us?”
Rita sighed. “He might not yet, but he will eventually. And when he does, he’ll come after you and then after me. You need to step back before you put your life and my life in danger again.”
Faro ran a hand through his hair. “I’m just trying to figure things out, Aunty Rita.”
She shook her head. “You don’t have time to ‘figure things out.’ You’re Falcon. Cal is Kestrel. Ronda is caught between both of you. This isn’t just some messy love triangle—it’s a battlefield.”
Faro exhaled. “I just need to see what she wants.”
Rita leaned back, watching him. “Fine. But be smart, Faro. Don’t let your past blind you to the war we’re in.”
Rita tapped her nails against the table, her gaze sharp as she studied Faro. “You’re forgetting something important, Faro.”
Faro sighed, rubbing his temples. “What is that, Aunty?”
“Ronda is a killer.” Her voice was cold and precise. “She’s not some innocent woman caught between you and Cal. She’s a cold-blooded murderer.”
Faro’s jaw tightened. “I haven’t forgotten.”
“Haven’t you?” Rita leaned in, her tone dripping with disbelief. “Because the way you’re acting, it’s like you still see her as that sweet girl who loved you. But she’s not. She killed a stripper woman in cold blood, throwing her off the balcony in front of us Faro. And don’t you dare say it was self-defense.”
Faro clenched his fists. “I know what she did. She did that out of pure jealousy.”
“Do you?” Rita scoffed. “Because let me remind you—she also left you for Cal. Not because she loved him. Not because you did anything wrong. But because he had money, power, and a mansion.”
Faro looked away.
Rita shook her head. “You think she’s suddenly different now? That she regrets it? She made her choice, Faro. And now you’re risking everything for a woman who would sell you out again the second it benefits her.”
Faro stayed silent.
Rita exhaled. “You’re Falcon, Faro. Act like it. Stop letting your past blind you to the truth.”
