Mission: Undercover

Chapter 27

After Kristen and Rebecca were ready with their luggage, they said their goodbyes to Vanessa and left for the airport with Jackson.

Vanessa went to her room and stood there for a while, but the need for some action burned inside her.

She took two bandages from her suitcase and walked downstairs, wrapping them around her hands in the meantime and heading to the home gym.

When she got inside, she went straight to the punching bag and started pounding it with all her might.

Again. And again. And again.

"I need you, Vanessa. I won't let anyone hurt you, Vanessa," Cole's words echoed in her head.

Then hers: "We both know that last night doesn't mean anything."

She kept punching.

Half-hour. One hour.

Memories continued to haunt her. She felt her hands bruised under the bandage. But she didn't stop.

Her eyes filled with tears again. But she wasn't crying in pain. She was crying with anger. To herself. She had let the feelings get the better of her without even knowing that she was able to feel. He had taught her to feel.

But she didn't want to. Because when she felt, it hurt. Of all the losses. It hurt from loneliness.

It all seemed like a joke—a joke of fate. Fate was playing with her. It was punishing her. But hadn't it already punished her too much? Why did it continue? To make fun of her. Let her have these feelings for the man she was supposed to hate.

She pounded the punching bag one more time, one last time, before collapsing to the ground.

Feeling.

Feelings.

For him?

How messed up everything was.

She didn't want to admit it. But they were there. The feelings—her biggest enemy.

Two hours in the gym. But instead of reassuring her, Vanessa felt more confused.

She went out and returned to the house.

Danny was there and greeted her. "Hello, Miss."

"Just Nessa, please. Danny, right?"

"Yes. Nice to see you again," he replied kindly. "You like boxing?"

"Are you following me?" Vanessa asked him irritably.

Danny glanced at her hands, which were still wrapped in bandages. And given the sweat all over her body, it wasn't hard to tell where she was coming from.

"Oh." Vanessa looked down at her hands as well. "Yes."

"Well, I'll have to follow you anyway since I'm your bodyguard now."

"Super," Vanessa replied wryly.

"Cole ordered you not to leave the house alone."

"Cole can fu—"

"But if you want to go out—" Danny continued. "I'll accompany you. And speaking of which, would you like me to take you out to lunch?"

Danny was nice. He was respectful. He radiated a kind of calmness.

"Yeah, why not?" Vanessa answered him without thinking. "Give me ten minutes to get ready."

She went up to her room, took a quick shower, dressed up, and she and Danny went out.