Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 355

Badass in Disguise

Chapter 355

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Had Shadow given Jade her iris data? When had she begun planning all this? If Jade was not Shadow’s secretly trained assassin with implanted genes, what other possibilities could explain her identity?

The elevator doors opened, and Jade stepped out into a corridor identical to the one where she’d just killed the Queen of Clubs.

The doors closed behind her, the painting reforming into a seamless image. Oddly, there was no blood on the door. The floor was spotless too, with no sign of the Queen’s body or any evidence of their fight. Even the blood that had dripped from Jade’s arm was gone.

If not for her bloodied arm and injuries, she might have thought her battle with the Queen was a hallucination.

Yet Jade wasn’t surprised by any of this.

She began retracing her steps toward the entrance hall, moving in the opposite direction from where she had come. Everything was eerily quiet.

This area should have had Selene fighting Onyx and Void, but there was no trace of them–no blood, no signs of combat.

She continued toward the entrance hall where fifteen bodies should have been lying. They too had vanished, along with any evidence of her passage with Selene.

At one corner, the wall should have been smeared with blood from Selene’s palm. Of course, there was nothing.

This was clearly the castle’s first floor, yet she had taken an elevator down. The sound of waves and wind had diminished, and the air felt less fresh–evidence that she was underground.

Jade walked steadily, conserving her strength while recovering from the fight. Finally, she reached the entrance hall.

Unlike before, another chair now stood in the center, seemingly placed there for her. Exhausted, she walked directly to it and sat down. She tore off her bloodied sleeve and wrapped her wounded hand.

Then she looked up toward the throne at the front of the hall.

It was no longer empty. Nor was the hall.

As her vision expanded, she saw the room was filled with people. This underground replica mirrored the upper castle perfectly, down to the placement of every object. Like a perfect reflection, except for the high ceiling, which was an illusion created by mirrors, and the absence of the great door that opened to the sea.

Jade’s gaze moved from the throne to the young man standing at SPECTER’s right. Slender and sharp–featured, he was about her age–the fake Silas, Milo Murphy. Somehow, he had survived the poison.

Then she saw her–a woman standing near SPECTER. Her features were soft yet predatory, with an innate coldness and allure that made her extraordinary.

It was her

Shadow’s clone.

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10:38 Tue, Oct 7

Chapter 355

She was the one who had nearly driven Zach mad, who had caused Ethan and Night so much anxiety and fear.

How strange for Jade to see her own body from an outsider’s perspective.

She studied her thoroughly, almost like a voyeur. If the clone weren’t emotionless, Jade’s wolfish stare might have made her uncomfortable.

Jade couldn’t help but admire how good she looked.

She thought it was a shame Ethan wasn’t here to see it.

Despite being surrounded by armed guards, Jade relaxed as if she were home, Between herself and SPECTER, she seemed more like the one who belonged on the throne, the true owner of this castle.

Finally, she looked at the figure seated on the throne. His appearance was strange–not ugly, but unsettling. He had an ordinary, almot grandfatherly face that somehow felt wrong.

After seeing Ace, King, Queen of Clubs, and Jack, she understood why, SPECTER’s face was a patchwork: King’s eyes, Ace’s nose, the Queen’s lips, and Jack’s chin.

In his face, Jade saw the features of those she had killed, SPECTER, who never showed his true face, had forced them to surgically adopt his features so they could serve as his decoys when necessary.

Jack of Diamonds had died exactly this way, taking SPECTER’s place during an assassination attempt.

Looking at his cobbled–together face always disturbed Jade, though fortunately they rarely appeared before her simultaneously.

“At last, we meet,” SPECTER said.

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