Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 48

Chapter 48

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🙂))

Jade glanced at her laptop screen as the encrypted message flashed. Her lips curved into a slight smile as she decoded his message.

“Back in the States. Need to meet. Where are you?”

She typed back quickly: “Heading to Venezuela tomorrow. Business to attend to.”

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His response came almost instantly: “Venezuela? Dangerous territory. Especially after what you did to the Transcendent Military Alliance headquarters.”

Jade paused, fingers hovering over the keyboard. He was right, of course. In her previous life, she’d blown half their headquarters to kingdom come with ten pounds of C4. Not exactly something they’d forget, even if they didn’t know who she was now.

“I’ll be careful. Always am,” she typed. “Meet me there.”

She closed the laptop, satisfied. Dawn was just breaking when she finished packing her light blue backpack.

By 6 AM, Jade had slipped out of the house unnoticed.

Linda knocked on Jade’s door around 9 AM, balancing a tray of breakfast. “Jade? Sweetheart?” Her voice was honey–sweet, nothing like her usual bitter tone. “I made you pancakes. You can sleep in, but don’t forget to eat something.”

From down the hall, Emily watched with disgust.

“She’s not going to suddenly love you just because you’re bringing her breakfast,” Emily muttered as Linda placed the tray outside Jade’s door.

Linda shot her a warning glare, “Hush. This is how normal families treat each other.”

Emily rolled her eyes. “Since when are we normal?”

By noon, the house was filled with Frank’s brothers and their wives. They’d arrived bearing gifts-

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Chapter 48

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expensive watches, designer clothing items, and even a new laptop. All for Jade, apparently.

Patrick Morgan seemed particularly anxious. “She’s still sleeping?” he asked for the fifth time, checking his watch. “I really need to speak with her.”

“Let her rest,” Linda said, playing the protective mother. “She’s been studying so hard.”

Frank nodded. “She’ll be up soon, I’m sure.”

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They waited in the living room, making awkward small talk while constantly glancing toward Jade’s

bedroom door. Nobody dared knock or disturb her, not after witnessing what happened at the golf

club.

At two o’clock, Patrick’s phone rang. His face fell as he listened. “What do you mean, canceled? We’ve had that contract for three years!” He stepped outside to continue the conversation, returning minutes later looking pale.

“Everything okay?” Frank asked.

“The Williams construction contract,” Patrick said numbly. “They just canceled it. No explanation.”

The room fell silent. That contract had been Patrick’s largest source of income.

Max came home from school around three, looking bewildered at the gathering. “What’s everyone doing here?”

“We’re waiting to see Jade,” Joe, Frank’s second brother, explained. “Is she coming downstairs soon?”

Max looked confused. “Jade? She left this morning.”

The collective shock was palpable.

“Left?” Linda’s voice cracked. “What do you mean, left?”

“She said she had business out of town,” Max replied, grabbing a soda from the fridge. “She would not interested in your gifts. You can take them back.”

Patrick sank into a chair, his face ashen. “She’s gone? But… my company… my contracts…”

Nancy squeezed his hand. “What are we going to do? Joe works for your company too. If you lose your contracts…”

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Venezuela greeted Jade with humid air and the distant sound of gunfire. She checked into a modestly upscale hotel in Caracas, far enough from tourist areas to avoid attention but safe enough for her first night. As darkness fell, the sporadic pop–pop–pop of gunfire became more frequent. From her window, she could see people hurrying to get indoors, shops closing early, and police vehicles patrolling with increasing frequency.

The metallic smell of gunpowder drifted through her open window. She inhaled deeply, feeling a familiar rush. This was the world she knew best–chaotic, dangerous, unpredictable. For the first

time since her rebirth, Jade felt truly at home.

The next morning, she checked out and traveled deeper into the country. Her destination was a small town near the alleged location of a Transcendent Military Alliance training facility. The Latino

taxi driver looked at her like she was insane when she told him where she wanted to go.

“Double the fare,” she offered.

His eyes narrowed, but he nodded. “Your funeral, señorita.”

The hotel she checked into was significantly worse than the first–peeling paint, questionable

plumbing, and armed guards at the entrance. Perfect. As she approached the front desk, Jade noticed

a group of men checking in ahead of her. Their military–precise movements and vigilant scanning of exits marked them as professionals.

“We need four rooms,” said their leader, a brown–haired American with steely gray eyes. “Ground floor if possible.”

She recognized him immediately. Ryan. One of her top lieutenants in her previous life. He didn’t

seem to recognize her now–not surprising given her complete physical transformation.

“Fucking waste of time coming here,” one of his companions muttered. “The old boss is dead. Has to

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