The two agreed to fire four shots at the same time. Whoever hit more targets would win. If they ended up tied, Hedy would be declared the winner.
Standing at the shooting line, Arthur watched Hedy handle the pistol. Her movements were precise and practiced.
"You know how to use a pistol?" he asked, surprised.
Hedy replied calmly, "I took an ordnance class. I've used rifles and pistols. Nothing difficult about it."
Arrogant.
Arthur was curious to see how far she could go. Smirking, he warned her, "It's not too late to back out. Don't come crying when you lose and claim I bullied you."
Hedy rolled her eyes and slipped on the noise-canceling earmuffs. Gripping the pistol with both hands, she frowned slightly.
They fired almost simultaneously.
After the fourth shot, both of their expressions shifted.
Hedy lowered her gun, gritting her teeth. Her hands were still trembling.
Arthur stepped forward, pressed the button, and retrieved her target sheet.
It was completely untouched—no bullet holes at all.
"All four missed. You lost," he announced.
Hedy smiled. "I haven't seen your target yet. How do you know I lost?"
"With results like that, you think you can win?" Arthur replied, his voice laced with chill.
But Hedy didn't back down. "Of course! If you also missed all your shots, I'd be the winner. If both of us are humiliated, how do you know it won't be you who loses?"
Arrogance was written all over her face. Arthur's cold gaze softened slightly in the face of her burning confidence.
She acted like she still had a chance to win.
However,
"I don't lose," Arthur said, just as confidently.
As he walked toward his target, he added, "We fired four shots each. But you weren't aiming at the target—you were aiming at my bullets."
Hedy's eyes widened in shock.
This shooting club could actually track the bullet trajectories?
Arthur continued, "You managed to hit my first three bullets mid-air, which is why neither of us hit the target. That was your strategy, if all eight bullets missed, you'd win."
He pressed the button to retrieve his target sheet, then turned around, facing away from it.
"Unfortunately for you, I'm not someone who loses."
Hedy could feel his commanding presence radiating off him, arrogant and overwhelming.
The target sheet stopped in front of her. One bullet hole, right in the center.
Arthur smiled faintly. It was the quiet, confident smile of someone who didn't need to brag.
Hedy was stunned.
Only now did she realize how badly she'd underestimated him.
The man in front of her wasn't just a good shot, he had incredible reflexes, precise judgment, and elite-level dynamic vision.
This wasn't the skill of an ordinary military officer.
Even among elite mercenaries or top-tier assassins, few could pull this off.
Who was he?
"You don't belong here."
His deep, magnetic voice rumbled in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.
While she was still staring at the bullet hole, Arthur stepped in front of her. Her gaze was drawn to him, and their eyes locked. His mysterious, intense eyes seemed to pull her in…
Time stood still.
They studied each other, silent, as if exchanging unspoken secrets.
Then, his strong arms circled her waist, pulling her close. He tilted her chin with calloused fingers and kissed her—fierce and dominating.
"Tell me," he whispered against her ear, his voice like a spell, "who are you?"
"I… I'm Hedy!" she managed.
If it had been someone else, they might have melted in his arms.
But she wasn't someone else.
She shoved him back with force and stepped around him quickly, hiding her flushed cheeks and pounding heart.
He was strong but she wasn't about to surrender!
Her hands clenched in frustration. If not for the shaking, she could've landed that last bullet!
Damn it!
"You overexerted yesterday," Arthur said from behind. "Your muscles haven't recovered yet. Rest, and your hands won't shake next time."
Hedy froze.
So he knew.
"You took advantage of my weakness!" she snapped, turning to glare at him.
Unexpectedly, Arthur poked her cheek with his finger, clearly teasing her.
That smug look, her face flushed even redder.
Asshole!
Furious, she stormed up to him, grabbed his collar, stood on tiptoe and kissed him.
A hot, intense kiss.
"I kissed you because you lost. Why did you kiss me?" He asked breathlessly, face glowing and eyes defiant.
"For revenge," she added, "I told you, I hold grudges!"
Then she looked down and saw the obvious bulge in his military trousers.
Smirking proudly, she teased, "Laugh at me again, and next time don't react if you think you're so tough!"
Who said only men could seduce? Hmph!
Feeling triumphant, Hedy turned on her heel and strutted toward the exit.
But just before she left, she paused.
"I forgot to hit your ass!" she declared. "Just wait, I will!"
Arthur's eyes crinkled in amusement. "I'll be waiting."
At that moment, the door swung open, and the Captain walked in, looking confused.
"Hedy said she wanted to rest, and walked off on her own," he muttered. Then he turned to Arthur and said, "You said you wanted to test her skills, how did that turn into… spanking? I haven't seen you in months and you're into this kind of thing now?"
He spotted the two target sheets and chuckled. "Told you her last shot was just luck. She misses in training all the time. Her squad leader's had to work overtime with her. Honestly, she won't pass the final exam. We might as well send her home early."
Arthur didn't respond. Still standing at the shooting line, he toyed with the training pistol and said casually, "So what if she failed? Let the instructors guide her. Didn't you hear what the Commander said? Every recruit is a flower of our future. We can't just uproot them because they're a little slow to bloom."
The Captain snorted. "Please. If you hadn't baited me into complaining, the Commander wouldn't have given that speech. That girl humiliated me in front of him. Why are you protecting her instead of backing up your old buddy? Don't tell me you're falling for her."