CLICK TO PREORDER MY BOOK!

ANGEL IN BONDAGE © | 1: READY

Portrait Painting of Yiuna Li for ANGEL IN BONDAGE by AGENT ROSE
Yiuna Li Portrait by AGENT ROSE ✧ intentional imperfect beauty.

“The Crown’s agenda has only been expanding due to the increasing number of Boost vendors.  She’s more than needed for this operation and will be assisting in our Service.”

Marianne’s clean, soothing voice was her signature as the head of MI6’s elite unit.  Silver hair clipped back in a business twist, she ran her unit’s affairs with executional grace and a refreshingly maternal hand.  M eyed her glass monitor. With a swipe of her finger, she shared  an agent’s profile with the man in the lab’s central workstation.

On par with the agent’s rumors was the technological signature of HQ’s lab, covertly integrated into Victorian walls and furnishings. Amidst the country’s restless advances in technology, the room reflected the Kingdom’s desire for the nostalgic majesty of a past era.  Several glass-thin monitors eclipsed a large central desk, screens rising from their bases on the floor to project the latest surveillance and gear in the works. A tall, lean figure leaned lazily on the desk counter, the faint glow of the screens reflecting in deep-set hazel eyes. 

“I could use some assistance myself.”  The man pushed the mess of his ash brown hair back to glaze over M’s screenshare in apathy, unkempt strands falling in a disheveled charm. Each new mission meant more work for him.

His eyes suddenly lit up with recognition, followed closely by exasperation.  He sighed heavily as a few stray strands fell back over his face.

“You’re killing me, teach.”  

The lab door clicked open to reveal the silhouette of the woman in question.   Piercing silver eyes surveyed the room, chic yet mature. A worthy match for her body.  Her rather cold presence was broken up only by soft, white-blonde waves that just teased her shoulders, feminine and dangerously beautiful.  

“Yiuna Li. Hand her the case, Zero. And don’t call me that,” M said.

Zero’s annoyance only grew stronger as the agent’s heels clicked steadily towards him, overwhelming any trace of intimidation others may have felt around her.  

“Heh. Sloppy as usual,” she noted with a smirk.  She found it amusing that he still managed to make business casual look too casual, even as lead.

“I prefer the term ‘organized mess,’” he replied, deadpan.

“Organized piles of trash are still trash.  I don’t suppose you have gear beneath your rubbish to stop doing your father a disservice.”

“I’ll throw something in the works to stop your mouth from being a disservice.” He had always known her mouth to be a detriment to her looks.

Not even a minute into their reunion and the blonde was already throwing him down, and perhaps for good reason.  Spaced between the room’s wondrous employment of code and machinery was cutting-edge disappointment. Zero’s clutter clotted the lab, cheating on the cleanly virtue of the previous lead’s arrangement.  Circuitry and wires, tools and sheets of unidentified metals from who-knows-how-many projects ago were strewn haphazardly as he went about his work. The organized mess was paired elegantly with a nearby cabinet of wine and a nearly empty bottle on his desk.

Digital Painting of Zero by Agent Rose
“Zero”.

Yiuna ran her fingers over a device on the counter, a handheld white cube with smooth corners and a glowing central light.  Emblazoned on the side were the letters “ZEROTEK” in small, sharp font.  Apparently Zero had become an undeservingly handsome narcissist since they first met a few years back. She looked back up at him in grimace, eyes narrowed in mild disgust.  He sighed.

“I didn’t name that device, my father did.  Never asked to be called Zero, headquarters just wants nostalgia for his legacy since I took over his role.”  

The agent let out a terse laugh.  

“How could you not have?” Yiuna picked up the wine bottle and angled his disgraceful habit towards himself.  

“We have every intention of calling you ‘nothing’ and getting away with it.  All credit to the previous lead and Zero to you.”

“She’s sharp, Zero.” M replied, almost allowing her favor to show in a smile.    

“Hey.” He anticipated the return of Yiuna’s provocation from the moment M shared her profile, but his mentor didn’t have to chime in.  “I’ve been holding down work well enough.”

A satisfying pulse radiated on the desk’s touchscreen surface as the white cube started recharging. It was this interconnectivity of devices and things that had helped create the previous lead’s legacy. Zero’s father found it fitting to name his team’s line of technology “Zerotek” after the “double-0” agents.  His work contrived a pronounced revolution in Her Intelligence Agency’s operations.  It was no wonder that HQ was at a loss when their lead suddenly disappeared. The critical changes instilled in its operations were carried on in his son, the apprentice.

Zero handed the agent a solid black case.

“The cruise is top-of-the-line.  Nearly garish. It would be in bad taste to not send you off well-dressed. The tailors will have you at five sharp,” M said.  “Be ready.”

[PRONUNCIATION GUIDE]

“Yiuna” = “yooh-nuh”, rhymes with “luna”

“Li” = “力” meaning strength, pronounced “Lee”

Italics are character thoughts in later chapters.

AGENT, Share this content!

If you enjoyed this chapter, share it with anyone who needs a smile.  Thanks for your support.

Any comments left on the chapters are appreciated, I’d love to hear from you. I put a lot of time and dedication into AiB and I hope it shows!

I’ve been working continuously on this story but don’t post as often as I like to keep the writing quality high. I hope you continue to keep up with me on social media (especially Instagram stories) no matter how long the intermissions are between actual story updates.  The art should come more quickly, and will be posted to my social media first.

< BACK TO SUMMARY NEXT CHAPTER >

ANGEL IN BONDAGE © AGENT ROSE

30 thoughts on “ANGEL IN BONDAGE © | 1: READY”

    • Agent Helios, thank you! I definitely made this site with mobile in mind. The site has actually been up for some time, but I kept quiet about it until I revamped it for a better experience.

      Reply
    • Agent Amal, good question! Yiuna definitely has some aspects of me in her, but other parts aren’t like me, just as with most of my other characters. Some readers have jumped to the conclusion that she “is me”, especially because of Chapter 2, but she’s not. I actually wish that assumption would stop.

      I actually plan to blog on this later and talk on AiB’s character development and themes, it’s pretty interesting to see how they come to life. Glad you like her!

      Reply
  1. an incredible and amazing job! it’s the first chapter and I’m already deeply into the read, it catches us to read more and more! I’m glad to participate non as only reader, but also an agent!!! awesome, rose! 💙

    Reply
    • Agent Joya, it’s cool that you’re still giving AiB a shot even though English isn’t your first language, so thank you and hope you enjoy reading it through! I actually have a ton of international readers thanks to the internet, and you’re not the only one who’s giving it a shot despite not having English as a first language.

      Reply
  2. I love the way you set up the dynamic between Zero and Yiuna! Zero’s comments and dialogue with Yiuna really solidified his characterization for me while reading through this chapter.

    Reply
    • Agent Emmanuel, cool you could connect with who he is! He’ll make an appearance again in the quarantine scene (and in my blog when I talk about the characters)!

      Reply
  3. I’ve never really been too interested in the spy flicks like the bond series, but the way your write scenes, painting such a vivid picture with your word choice, and the variation you’re presenting on the idea seems interesting. Just finished the first chapter and I’m already excited to learn more about these characters 🙂

    Reply
    • I definitely don’t write for genre so much as to give people a ride emotionally, so I’m glad you still gave AiB a shot! I wish I didn’t even have to put a genre on this because I feel people turn down genres they think they won’t like. Happy to hear from you

      Reply
  4. Again, the layout, well done on that. Really set the vibe of the scene, adding in the characters interactions with one another, really portrayed the current stance of their relationships within this organization and gives us a glimpse of what happened that it got this way. Zero shouldering the weight of the previous leaders legacy while the others view him as lackluster to what the previous lead used to be. Pretty interesting dynamic going already, Definitely continuing this whenever I have a moment to spare :3!

    Reply
    • I’m glad you can appreciate the detail put into the scene. I ponder Zero’s position(s) a lot, along with his relationship with his father. I imagine them being closer in the present timeline, but it wasn’t always like that. I think about them a lot…the son and the kind of father I never had.

      Reply
  5. Thank you for making me aware of this project on instagram. I enjoyed the first chapter, you have a vivid style that definitely brought the characters and scene to life, for me. I look forward to reading more and seeing any accompanying artwork you care to share. Great job!

    Reply
    • Thank you for giving AiB a shot, hope you enjoy the rest! I’m not sure how much I’ll make public that is part of the official book, but be sure to tune in to the blog/sign up for emails to keep up. Otherwise, I tend to hang around on Instagram where I found you in my IG stories…

      Reply
  6. I am a sucker for thrillers. Not that I am categorizing this novel into any genres. Imo spy fiction do kinda seem thrilling and I love them obviously… and you did an amazing job capturing each and every minor persona of the character tho not full.. cuz its just the beginning… am already intriguied… and YOU HAVE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB ~ a writer to another ; )

    Reply
  7. Hi it’s Sascha on Insta :>
    I really like the first chapter ! It’s very enthralling and the arts..the drawing you did are so wonderful :0 I love it sm !
    I’ll read the other chapter and this first one gave me a very good impression. I love your writting style so read a book written by you is a real pleasure !
    Have a good day <3

    Reply
  8. I have read this about 11 times now and every time i read it i see some other hidden line in this chapter. It’s amazing how you make me join that room as in invisible spectator. Absolutely love it!! <3

    Reply
    • Thank you so much for your words Christel. Hope you enjoy the novel when it comes out! Will definitely be including some of my poems on the characters in my first poetry book, LOVE LETTERS FOR YOU – hope you look forward to it!

      Reply

Leave a Comment