PROJECT CHROME: CONCEALED IDENTITY

C H A P T E R O1

CHAPTER ONE
The Shot Beneath the Moon

"They escaped the law. But not her."

Seventeen years had passed since the world last heard from one of its most feared crime syndicates. In the silence they left behind, global crime surged. To restore balance, private military and intelligence agencies emerged ghosts in the system, fighting shadows with shadows. Among them, the Lotus Intelligence Agency, or LIA, became one of the most elite.

Tonight, in the heart of Florence, Italy, one of their agents was about to strike.

"I'm in position, sir. Awaiting further instructions," she said, pressing the earpiece snugly into her right ear.

No emotion flickered across Phoenix's face. From the rooftop of Florence's tallest tower, she scanned the glowing skyline. The city shimmered beneath the full moon—vibrant, alive, breathtaking. But she wasn't here for the view. She was here to end a name.

Through the scope of her sniper rifle, she tracked her target. A man in an all-white suit descended in a glass elevator, surrounded by armed guards. His attention was fixed on a phone call, unaware that death had already found him.

As the elevator touched down, the group exited and moved toward the entrance of the Star Hotel. They paused—waiting.

"Target confirmed. He's outside the building. Ready your aim," came the voice in her earpiece.

Phoenix adjusted her stance, lying prone against the cold rooftop concrete. Her fingers curled around the grip of her custom sniper rifle. Through the scope, she watched a luxury car pull up. Four more men in black stepped out, including the driver. Ten guards in total.

She smirked.

They're well-prepared. But that's expected from someone like him.

Her crosshairs settled on the man in white—Vicente Ismael, a notorious drug lord and the architect of a vast human trafficking empire that stretched across Europe and Southeast Asia, including the Philippines.

"Target locked," she whispered, finger resting on the trigger.

"Take the shot," her team leader ordered.

"Copy that."

She pulled the trigger.

The bullet sliced through the night—silent, precise. Vicente collapsed instantly, a clean shot to the forehead. Blood spilled across the pavement as his body crumpled, eyes wide open in frozen disbelief. Panic erupted. Screams. Chaos. But it was already over.

Phoenix stood, calm and composed. She packed her gear with practiced efficiency. There was no need to watch the aftermath. Her mission was complete.

Descending from the rooftop, she made her way to the waiting black car. Sliding into the driver's seat, she placed her rifle gently in the back.

"This is Agent Phoenix. Mission accomplished," she reported.

"Excellent work, Agent. Return to HQ. Team Beta will handle the cleanup."

"Understood. En route now."

She started the engine and disappeared into the night, heading back to headquarters. Cold. Precise. Unyielding. She was trained to eliminate threats—not the innocent. Her targets were criminals who had long escaped the law.

But they couldn't escape her. Because the world isn't painted in white. Not everything is good. Darkness stains every corner of the canvas. 

And darkness... always lingers.