His Mistress is His Ex-Wife
Chapter 71: Flashback

Chapter 71: Flashback

Lanny stayed up all night, just thinking about the possible culprit who was behind her assassination five years ago. Vladimir’s words had troubled her mind, considering she doubted her brother only to find out he didn’t call the hit.

Their lack of open communication between siblings led to their misunderstandings five years ago, making her distrust her brother and think he was her enemy. Besides, they were just half-siblings. Vladimir and Lanny had different mothers.

Vladimir’s mother held the true title of Madam within the Ivankov Clan, recognized as Miguel’s lawful wife, while Lanny’s mother was just a mistress, deemed insignificant in everyone’s eyes... a woman meant solely for Miguel’s fleeting pleasures.

She kept turning and tossing around her bed. As she glanced at her ceiling blankly, memories of her first encounter with Enzo flashed in her mind.

[ FLASHBACK (Five Years Ago) ]

No one from the Ivankov Clan wanted to acknowledge Lanny. The majority of the higher-ups from their mafia organization were looking down on her, considering her as a nuisance and insignificant.

Because of Lanny’s strong personality, many leaders hated her gutsy behavior. She was ambitious enough to ask her father, Miguel Ivankov, for a higher position in their organization– a branch leader in particular. But as part of their rules and tradition, women from the Ivankov Family were not allowed to possess leadership power over the organization.

Moreover, her birth origin as a mistress’s daughter gave those people the confidence to belittle her, diminishing her worth. But Lanny was not one who would let others bully her without a fight. She was so determined to change her fate by proving her worth to her father and be acknowledged by him someday.

Fueled by a fierce resolve, she aimed to challenge the Ivankov’s rules and break the archaic tradition that barred women from assuming leadership roles within the organization. Because of her ambition, the higher-ups ganged up against her, requesting Miguel to send her away.

As a result, Lanny flew to Country Z as per her father’s order. He told her to visit Vladimir and stay in York City for a few months.

As Lanny stepped out of the York City International Airport, her eyes scanned the bustling arrival longue for any sign of Vladimir’s men. She noticed a group of men, not Vladimir’s usual associates, approaching her.

’This is so annoying! I thought Vladimir would pick me up personally!’ Lanny thought to herself.

The men surrounded her, their expressions grim and foreboding. There was no sign of respect from the way they looked at her.

"Where’s your Boss, Vladimir?"

One of the men hissed at her, grabbing her roughly by her arms. "You’ll find out soon enough. Just come with us."

Lanny shot him a cold sharp glare as she yanked her arm away from the man’s iron grip. "Don’t touch me with your filthy hands," she snarled at him.

Reluctantly, Lanny allowed herself to be escorted by the men, feeling annoyed yet cautious. They led her away from the bustling terminal and into the dimly lit streets ahead.

After thirty minutes, the car parked in a dark isolated area. Lanny already sensed that something was off with the place.

’This doesn’t seem right.’ She thought to herself as she alighted from the car.

The five men guided her to an old warehouse.

"What is this place? This is not what I imagined to be my brother’s headquarters." Lanny cautiously scanned her surroundings, her eyes searching for an escape route just in case she needed to flee from these suspicious men.

"What kind of welcome party Vladimir has prepared for me?" Lanny added in her sarcastic tone.

The men remained silent, their steely expressions offering no answers. With a sinking feeling in her chest, Lanny realized that Vladimir’s men planned to betray her.

’Damn it! This is a trap! I shouldn’t have trusted Vladimir!’ She cursed inwardly.

Before she could protest, the men pushed her roughly inside the warehouse, the sound of the door slamming shut echoing through the empty space. Lanny found herself alone, surrounded by five strong and bulky men.

As Lanny braced herself for the confrontation, adrenaline coursed through her veins. With determination etched into her features, she took a defensive stance, ready to face her assailants head-on.

The men charged in her direction with menacing intent, their movements calculated and predatory. They picked up their weapons– sharp daggers and knives. Sharpening her senses and heightening her reflexes, Lanny’s eyes darted back and forth between them as she assessed her opponents’ positions, searching for any opportunity to turn the tables in her favor.

With a swift motion, one of the men lunged forward with his sharp weapon, aiming a powerful blow at Lanny’s midsection. Instinctively, she sidestepped, narrowly evading the attack. In response, she retaliated, delivering a well-aimed strike to her assailant’s wrist, disarming him with his dagger.

When he loosened his grip, Lanny snatched the weapon from him. The man was momentarily stunned by the force of Lanny’s counterattack. He didn’t expect her to be an expert at hand-to-hand combat.

Seizing the opportunity, Lanny launched herself forward, unleashing a flurry of precise strikes. She gripped the dagger tightly as she aimed with deadly accuracy. She wouldn’t be merciful against these traitors.

’How dare you target me?! I’m not going to die here!’

The other men decided to strike all at once to bring her down. However, despite their initial advantage in numbers, the men found themselves struggling to keep up with Lanny’s relentless assault.

But the odds quickly began to turn against her as one of them used a gun, shooting in Lanny’s direction.

Bang! Bang!

Lanny was grazed by a bullet, the impact leaving a shallow wound on her right shoulder. Blood trickled from the injury, splattering onto the ground. Sensing her disadvantage, Lanny’s mind shifted to her new goal: escape!

With a burst of speed, she broke through the circle of assailants, dodging the bullets with uncanny agility. Adrenaline fueled her movements as she made a beeline for the nearest exit, her heart pounding with urgency and determination.

"Follow her! Don’t let her escape!"

"Shoot her in the head!"

The men chased after her, their shouts echoing through the warehouse. Meanwhile, Lanny pushed herself to the limit, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she raced towards the highway. She must leave that place as soon as possible!

’I’ll be dead if I let them catch me.’ She ran as fast as she could, the cool night air rushing to meet her as she looked for her way out. She needed to go to a crowded place where she could hide herself and ask for someone’s help.

Behind her, the sounds of pursuit faded into the distance, swallowed by the vast expanse of the night. Lanny took a moment to catch her breath, her pulse still racing with the exhilaration of the chase.

But even as she escaped from those men tonight, she knew that her ordeal was far from over. With Vladimir’s betrayal fresh in her mind, she realized that she must stay one step ahead if she hoped to survive the dangerous game that lay ahead.

And just right in time, she saw a light from a distance. A car was fast approaching in her direction. Without a second thought, Lanny ran towards the middle of the road to stop the car.

The screeching sound of the brake was heard as the driver stopped the car abruptly to avoid hitting Lanny. The driver stepped out with mixed emotions– surprised and annoyed.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" The handsome guy scolded Lanny.

Lanny smiled in response and said meaningfully, "No sir. I am trying to survive. Can you give me a ride?" She even gestured her head toward her wounded shoulder.

Upon noticing her bleeding arm, his expression transitioned from one of anger to concern.

"Come with me," he softly mumbled, guiding her to his car. That guy was none other than Enzo. He helped her escape from the armed men who were pursuing her.

[ End of FLASHBACK (Five Years Ago) ]

******

[ At Lanny’s Condo Unit]

The first light of dawn seeped through the curtains, casting a gentle glow across Lanny’s bedroom. The comfort of her bed embraced her as she slept peacefully. However, her slumber was abruptly disturbed by the chime of the doorbell, echoing inside her unit.

Ding! Dong!

Lanny’s body jolted on her bed and her eyes fluttered open, her mind still groggy with sleep as she tried to absorb the sudden disturbance. She reached for her phone, checking the time. It was only 5:45 am!

"Who could be ringing the doorbell this early?" Lanny mumbled to herself as she lazily sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

She quickly threw off the covers, getting off the bed. After leaving her room, she made her way to the front door.

Ding! Dong!

The doorbell rang twice. In no time, Lanny reached the door and peered through the peephole, her brow furrowing in surprise as she saw a figure standing outside. However, from the angle he stood, she couldn’t see his face. She hesitated for a moment, debating whether to open the door or ignore the unexpected visitor.

"Who’s there?" Lanny called out behind the door.

"It’s me, Enzo."

Lanny: "..."

Recognition flashed across Lanny’s face as she recognized the voice of the man she had been thinking about since last night. After she recovered from the shock, she quickly unlocked the door and swung it open, revealing Enzo standing on the doorstep, looking apologetic and embarrassed.

"Did I disturb your sleep, Lanny? I’m sorry for dropping by this early. I had nowhere else to go so I headed here straight. Athena gave me this address." Enzo apologized instantly, scratching his nose as he smiled sheepishly at her.