His Devious Rule

However, she had just entered the gym changing into her gym wear, she was welcomed to Jason\'s counterattack to annoy her.

Dot aka Axel, the new recruitment of the Team Ace was waiting for her. Despite hearing she will have to approve of him, Anya knew Jason\'s choice couldn\'t go wrong.

"Officer Owen." Axel greeted Anya with a file in his hand. Obviously, Jason sent him to the gym to meet her.

His eyes glanced over her, head to toe to confirm she was doing fine without any physical injury. His shoulders unawarely relaxed seeing her fit and on high energy to burn the calories. 

He has already learned from other Team Ace members that impressing Anya is sometimes harder than Jason. Thus her twitched brows were enough to state she hadn\'t accepted him as a part of the team yet. 

Well, he wasn\'t going to pull any stupid tricks. Being patient with stubborn talented people was the key.

He was about to report what he studied about the mission and submit the draft, he paused when her steely gray eyes suddenly glinted and curled at the corner as if she was smiling. He was sure she was cooking something. 

"Er… Officer Owen!?" He mused, struggling to understand her even a bit.

However, he froze when her eyes scrutinized him head to toe, taking her own time. He was confident about his physique for being fit but what was her intention?

If he didn\'t know she was married to Alvin Matthews, he would have doubted she was interested in him because of the intensity of her gaze.

Anya nodded to herself. Indeed, Jason wanted to annoy her by sending Axel behind her, at the same time he was trying to teach her how to take work out of a member.

She bluntly ordered Axel, "Lose some muscles in a month." She went to the weight section to begin her workout.

Axel was baffled. He left the file on the table aside and followed her with a heap of confusion. He was supposed to be strong enough to deal with attacks by multiple people, perform strenuous tasks, and catch criminals. Wasn\'t he?

"Officer Owen, why…" The rest of the words disappeared when he discerned her intention. Why will Officer Owen bother about his body? She wants him to be a part of the mission.

After studying the case the whole night, he was aware they hadn\'t caught the second agent who was working for Miles Johnson from the country. According to the information they have collected, that person was in university.

He has to lose weight to look like a college student. Losing weight doesn\'t have to mean being physically weak. He turned to the mirror on the wall and looked at himself. 

Wasn\'t he much older to look like a college student?

His eyes fell on Anya\'s reflection. She could have easily qualified as a graduate student but she was well known in the country. 

Anya completed her first set and looked at Axel. As she guessed he was quick to catch up. She spoke to give him a clear plan, "You will have an image of a smart, diligent, low profile, and financially challenged student." His current look was contrasting with the required image. 

She added a few more details to be more precise, "Studying graduation late on scholarship, staying in a hostel, multiple part-time jobs, a faultless heartbreaking family story." Anya began her next set of exercises letting him think about it.

Axel discerned he will claim a new identity for the mission. He needs to crack scholarship examinations on his own and get many part-time jobs to keep himself busy looking. He should be desperate for money to cover the expenses of living. 

He grasped that he will be bait for the criminal organization, he will be digging out about the people in the meantime.

\'A family story?\' He didn\'t think he could come up with that story. He will need help with that.

Since it was going to be his first disguised mission, Anya wasn\'t going to send him to the battlefield without preparation. She began explaining some details he will have to keep in mind. 

That included secure communication protocols, his designated task, the team\'s support, concealing his true identity, suppressing his skills, forging connections, avoiding certain individuals, and refraining from any intimate relationships to prevent complications.

After nearly an hour, Anya completed stretching post-workout and sat on the mat. She gave him a piece of personal advice, "If you end up falling in love, make sure he or she will be able to accept your real identity when you reveal it after the mission completion."

Axel: "…"

He wasn\'t sure if he was bewildered by hearing \'he/she\' or \'love\' or her soft voice carrying a hint of concern. Anyway, He could only accept the advice with a simple affirmation. "I will keep that in mind."

Anya was going to miss the disguised long mission due to her publicized identity. She enviously glanced at Axel,  then something flashed in her mind.

"Do you need a personal trainer?" She elaborated on her question, "Are you aware of the food requirement and workout routine needed to reduce your muscles and strengthen your core?" The needs of everybody are different. They can hire an experienced officer-trainer to help him learn about his body.

"I\'m familiar with the routine. I will achieve the desired result in over four weeks." His body language and expression spoke volumes of his unwavering confidence.

Without realizing she had begun her journey to teach and lead the new member of the team, just as Jason anticipated.

…

Anya was leaving the gym when her reflection caught her attention. Suddenly in the mood to tease her busy husband, she picked up her mobile, struck a playful pose, and snapped several pictures of her mirror image for the first time in her life. 

She walked out, hiding her grin, choosing a picture to send to her husband, without noticing Jason witnessed the whole scene.

…

Jason silently hissed. He was so used to watching her unemotional while disregarding everything that didn\'t hold any importance. Thus, she was leaving him speechless now and then by behaving like a lady of her age.

He glanced at Axel. He didn\'t have to utter a word, Axel followed him and quickly briefed his next task. 

Walking out of the building, "Any questions?" Jason didn\'t have anything to add as Anya had taken care of every detail. 

Axel looked unperturbed and at ease to work under Anya who was younger than his age, "Not at this moment. I will reach out to Officer Owen for guidance if the need arises."

Jason had initially hoped that Anya\'s public profile would remain discreet until she turned thirty. Unfortunately, it was out of their hands due to Bernard Collins and Harper Johnson. So to replace her position, Jason wanted Axel to achieve a level of performance that matched or exceeded that of Anya.

Jason was happy with the progress. He was getting in his jeep when three men appeared out of nowhere and seized Jason with a knife at his neck.

Before Axel could react, a forceful blow struck his stomach, hurling him to the ground. Axel froze when a man recoiled the bullet and aimed a black Glock at his head. 

A man growled at Axel, "You were with that woman in country F. Bring that bitch out."