Unless there's an accomplice to provide backup, firing a shot from a tall building will immediately expose one's position and lead to being surrounded. Few assassins are willing to accept such a life-for-a-life trade.
However, that doesn't mean they don't exist.
So no matter what, Leon had to conduct a sweep. Because he had a new partner now, the President's immediate safety was left to Helena, which allowed Leon to breathe a sigh of relief. In the past, it would have been difficult for him to step away for some fresh air.
"Clack, clack, clack..."
"Clack, clack, clack..."
However, as he walked,
In the empty corridor of the teaching building, Leon actually heard a second set of footsteps besides his own.
And from the sound of it, they were a lady's high heels.
This surprised Leon. He raised an eyebrow instinctively and then turned his head, seeing a figure following behind him.
A tall, straight figure with golden wavy hair, a pretty and fair face with rosy cherry lips, and a pair of clear sapphire eyes. A hint of excitement flickered between her brows.
Her appearance was both cute and charming. That familiar face gave Leon a start of surprise; it was Ashley Graham, the former President's beloved daughter and the cute girl Leon had once traveled to Spain to rescue.
But at this moment, Ashley had completely changed.
She had fully transformed from a college student into a true young lady of status.
Her original short blonde hair had grown into shoulder-length wavy curls, adding a touch of mature feminine charm. The freckles on her face were gone, leaving no trace of her former innocence.
Wearing a white suit shirt, the curves of her chest were prominently outlined. Blessed with a generous figure, she had developed very well; she wasn't the type of spoiled, flat-chested, and arrogant young lady.
Rather, she was quite well-endowed.
Below, she wore black leather hip-hugging pants. Glossy black stockings and long boots covered her shapely thighs. She held some books under her arm and wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of her nose, looking every bit like a young teacher.
In fact, Ashley really was a teacher.
After returning from Spain, Ashley worked hard to complete her studies and eventually graduated from the University of Massachusetts. To give back to her alma mater, she used her father's connections to secure a position as an intern teacher at the University of Massachusetts.
And after several years of study,
She had now officially become a biology teacher. Her decision to study biology was also due to the bio-virus.
She wanted to share some of the burden for her father.
Although her teaching ability wasn't as experienced or seasoned as those of the doctors and professors, Ashley was more than capable of teaching incoming freshmen.
Gradually,
Ashley came to love this profession.
Having heard that the newly inaugurated President Adam Benford was coming to their school to give a speech, Ashley immediately thought of Leon, who served as the President's personal bodyguard.
Thus, she decided to try her luck. She hadn't expected to actually run into Leon, the man she had been longing for day and night.
Leon was now 35 years old.
He was still that handsome man. Although the stubble on his face wasn't cleanly shaven, it happened to add a few hints of maturity to his look.
Ashley, on the other hand, was 28.
Compared to her 20-year-old self, Ashley could be said to have grown a lot. Neither of them was young anymore.
However, it was a very suitable age for marriage. After all, they were both grown up now and should face their feelings directly, no longer as shy as they once were.
"Ashley...?!"
"What a surprise, I didn't expect to meet you here. Looking at your outfit... are you a teacher here? The little girl who used to cry and make a fuss has actually become a teacher. That's quite impressive."
The moment he saw Ashley,
Leon appeared very surprised.
Having not seen her for several years, the once noisy President's daughter had grown up so much. Time really flies.
Vaguely, Leon could even recall the way Ashley had screamed in fear when she was captured by those cultists in Spain. Thinking of this, Leon couldn't help but smile slightly as he greeted her.
However,
Compared to Leon's joking and teasing manner,
Ashley's reaction was much more direct and passionate. Tears welled up slightly in her eyes.
Seeing the man of her dreams,
The now-mature Ashley didn't care about her former maidenly shyness. She threw herself directly into his arms, immediately embracing Leon to feel his warmth to her heart's content.
She and Leon actually kept in touch,
But they rarely had the chance to meet.
After Ashley was rescued and returned to the United States, she had clung to Leon. But due to her studies, she had to return to school.
Leon wasn't Ashley's personal bodyguard; he had to return to the White House in Washington to continue his duties. Over time, the two gradually drifted apart.
And after Ashley's father left office,
And the new President took over, the chances for the two of them to meet were almost non-existent.
They could only contact each other occasionally on their phones. Because Leon was so busy, he basically wouldn't reply to messages unless it was something important. Over time, things had faded like that.
To be honest,
Being able to see Leon here today,
Was indeed a very lucky thing for Ashley. After all, their professions were different, and they almost never had time to connect.
"..."
"Ashley...?"
Looking at the girl—no, the woman—clinging tightly to him in his arms, Leon felt somewhat helpless. He hadn't expected that after all these years, Ashley would still like him.
He wasn't some dense, emotionless man;
He could clearly feel certain emotions. It was just that he didn't want to acknowledge them. After all, Leon knew his own identity and simply couldn't give Ashley the love she wanted.
"Sorry... Leon, I got a bit excited."
"You're here protecting the President for his university speech, right?"
Hearing Leon's words, Ashley snapped back to reality, her face flushing. Her actions just now were indeed too bold.
But she couldn't help how much she missed Leon,
And she had embraced him spontaneously. Fortunately, she was much more thick-skinned now and wouldn't cover her face and run away.
Instead, she adjusted her emotions and asked Leon with a beaming smile, showing not a hint of embarrassment, as if nothing had happened at all.
Seeing Ashley like this,
Leon also felt a secret sense of unease. This little girl's skills had improved a lot; it seemed his old tricks wouldn't be enough to shake her off.
"Yes, I plan to familiarize myself with the environment around the university,"
"And patrol for any suspicious personnel. I didn't expect to run into you here. I guess it's a kind of fate."
Giving a dry cough,
Leon maintained a slight distance from Ashley and then explained the situation truthfully.
He had intended to use the patrol as an excuse to leave, but he hadn't expected Ashley to be a step ahead of him. Ashley immediately grabbed Leon's arm and said excitedly:
"Then let me lead the way for you. I'm most familiar with the environment inside the university."
"I can take you wherever you want to go. As for the reward... Leon, if the speech is over tonight, how about you accompany me for a meal?"
Without another word,
Ashley pulled Leon toward the roof of the teaching building. No matter how much Leon tried, he couldn't break free. In the end, he could only shake his head with a wry smile.
Even heroes find it hard to resist a beauty's charms.
With Leon being distracted by Ashley, it actually gave Helena plenty of time to operate.
At this moment, inside the President's office at the University of Massachusetts, President Adam Benford was having a pleasant conversation with the university's president.
The President holding a speech at their school
Was undoubtedly a huge honor for the institution, so the university president was very welcoming. Standing outside the door were a dozen fully armed SWAT Officers,
As well as Helena, the senior agent serving as a personal bodyguard. At this moment, the fair face of the mature Helena was shifting with uncertain emotions.
She was hesitating whether to comply with that bastard Simmons' threat and assist them in assassinating the President.
Because according to the schedule, when the speech began at four o'clock in the afternoon, Simmons would send people to assassinate the President.
This made Helena very anxious;
The conflict between family and morality was weighing on her.
This made Helena's emotions very unstable. Since ancient times, it has been hard to satisfy both loyalty and filial piety; Helena finally understood the difficulty of such a situation.
"Damn it...!"
"How did I get into such a mess? I'm sorry... Deborah!"
In the end,
Helena still couldn't withstand the self-condemnation of her inner morality. She secretly sent a warning communication to the Secret Service.
The content was that the President was likely to be assassinated.
Upon receiving this information, the Secret Service began directing the SWAT Officers on the university campus to search for the assassin. Soon... a series of orders came through the earpieces:
"We have received a secret radio warning that someone may assassinate the President at four o'clock this afternoon. I now order all SWAT Officers to search for the assassin. The assassin may be hiding in the university. Be sure to find the assassin or set up a perimeter before four o'clock. Is that clear?"
The command in the communication earpiece was unquestionable.
Soon, the ten fully armed SWAT Officers guarding the door glanced at each other.
Ultimately, only two SWAT Officers remained with Helena to protect the President. The others followed the instructions and headed into the university campus to help the other security teams search for the assassin.
If necessary,
They might even cancel the university speech event at four o'clock...!
"Phew..."
Seeing this,
Helena breathed a slight sigh of relief.
It seemed the warning she had just sent out had worked.
If this could make the security teams and the Secret Service more vigilant, it would be a good thing. Because that way, Simmons wouldn't be able to assassinate the President.
However,
What Helena didn't know
Was that this was exactly a part of the plan Simmons had anticipated.
Simmons had long expected that Helena might be unable to escape her inner moral condemnation and would thus secretly warn the Secret Service that someone would assassinate the President.
Therefore...
What Simmons had told Helena was that he would assassinate the President at four o'clock.
But in reality...
Simmons had no intention of waiting until four o'clock. Instead, he would start the assassination mission as soon as Helena managed to divert the security personnel away from the President.
After all,
This was just a tactic.
Simmons' goal was to have Helena send a warning to the Secret Service so they would help disperse the agents protecting the President.
Once the forces were divided,
That would be his best time for the assassination. The so-called four o'clock was merely a lie Simmons told Helena.
He let Helena mistakenly believe she still had time to root out the assassin, but in fact, she had no time at all. She had fallen into the trap from the very beginning.
"..."
"Commence the operation as planned—!"
In a room with floor-to-ceiling windows in a tall building outside the University of Massachusetts, a man in a white suit, adorned with various luxury watches and jewelry,