My Hitman System

Fifteen days ago.

Just when their team seemed to have found a rhythm and they were progressing daily, Diana was hit with an unexpected ultimatum.

"The project we've been working on for the past few months has been terminated," their team leader said in the evening.

"...What? But why?!" Diana couldn't help but exclaim because of the shock.

"Well…" The man scratched his head uncomfortably when he was questioned by Diana.

Even though he was the team leader, it could be said that most of the work was being done by Diana instead. Normally, this would have bruised his ego, but since he was aware of her circumstances, he just let her be.

With a sigh, he continued, "There's nothing we can do here. The person who was funding our research messaged the research director yesterday that he would be pulling away his funding."

Diana was already aware that their whole research was being funded by a single person who was a billionaire. "Why would he do that? Isn't his mother suffering from Alzheimer's as well?!"

She couldn't understand the logic behind taking away their funds so suddenly when they had shown clear progress in the development of a cure.

"...She passed away two days ago," the man sighed in regret. Although he wasn't as interested in this project as Diana, he still liked it since the pay was quite good.

"S-she died?..." Diana's eyes widened as she looked at him with a stunned expression, unable to process what she had just heard.

"You did a good job, but with no funding, there's nothing we can do. The director told me to convey to all of you that we have to leave for our branches by tomorrow evening." With that said, the man went to his desk and started cleaning it up.

The other team members also started packing up with disappointed sighs and rantings. All of them, except Diana, were here only for the good paycheck, so though they were a bit disappointed, they were still able to accept this fact.

'It's… over.' Diana bit her lower lip in frustration as a metallic taste spread in her mouth. The last ray of hope she had been clinging to all this while was also taken away from her.

Tears were fighting to come out of her eyes, and knowing this, she immediately packed her items from her desk and left to catch a bus for the staff quarters.

While on the bus, tears silently trickled down her face as her eyes stared at the passing scenery. It was only when she entered her room that she pressed her face into her pillow and cried her lungs out.

Her muffled cries echoed inside her room for several hours before she finally exhausted herself and fell asleep.

The next day, she booked a flight back to Valeyria and left the country. She had no reason to stay here anymore. Since there was no hope for her father, she wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.

Dylan's Dining Room.

"She still has feelings for me?" Jin asked in shock.

With a comforting smile on her face, Erika nodded and told him about the incident that had happened earlier.

"...Even though she told me not to tell you about it, seeing that both of you still carried feelings for each other, I felt obligated to inform you," Erika told Jin as Dylan nodded by the side.

'She called me?...' With a hint of anticipation, he took out his phone and started going over all the missed calls he had received in the past months.

'There!' Among the hundreds of numbers, he finally found a name he had been looking for.

"She really called…" Jin muttered with a bright expression.

Seeing his reaction, both Dylan and Erika met each other's gaze and smiled. It was a good idea to invite him for dinner tonight.

"Try talking to her and take things slow. If it's really meant to be, things will definitely work out once again between the two of you," Dylan added in a comforting tone.

"Y-yes… thank you for telling me this." Jin was at a loss for words because of how overwhelmed he felt by this news. However, he still managed to thank Dylan.

"I'll be waiting for your marriage invitation then," Dylan chuckled, and the room's atmosphere was back to a jolly one.

"Alright." Jin smiled back at Dylan and Erika as they enjoyed the wine together before calling it a night.

"Why don't you stay here tonight? It's already twelve," Dylan suggested.

"I'll pass on that offer," Jin replied while showing Dylan his phone.

Understanding his implication, Dylan grabbed his shoulders tightly and wished him luck. "Good luck! Things might not go as smoothly as we expect, but don't lose hope, alright?!"

"I won't." Jin took a deep breath and nodded.

"Good." Dylan patted him on his shoulder. "See you tomorrow then."

"Alright." With that said, Jin turned around and left for his car.

Inside the car, Jin glanced at the time. It was a quarter past midnight. Seeing this, he thought, 'It would be nearing lunchtime in Miringham right now… she might be free.'

He dialled her initial few numbers and then clicked on the saved contact that just popped up on his phone before hitting the call button.

Ring Ring

Ring Ring

Jin waited for Diana to pick up his call, but she didn't. He called her once again, but the result was still the same.

'She must be busy right now,' Jin thought to console himself and left for the hotel the next moment.

Meanwhile, a missed call notification popped up on Diana's phone, which was resting on the bedside table and had just stopped vibrating.

On the bed next to the table, Diana was in a deep sleep.

During these past few weeks, she had been constantly navigating between her work and her father's care. As a result, by the end of the day, she was always both mentally and physically exhausted.