Facing you for the first time

[2 days later]

Shanna came to pick up Jemisha.

'Shanna!'

'He girl how was your birthday?'

'Well there were a few unwanted guest but I took care of it.'

'Even Jack let me be, and gave me a few pointer.'

'Did you change your bandage?'

'Not yet, will you help me?'

'Sure, it must have been uncomfortable having man look at your body every day.'

'Nah I got used to it, and besides my consciousness for gender is a little lower than the average girl.'

Shanna looked a bit worried.

'Is that bad?'

'No not at all, but was it always like that or did that start 2 years ago?'

'Humm… I think it developed after my mom's death.'

'But I'm aware I'm a girl, but I'm just not that familiar with the typical girl stuff and to be honest I don't really care for it either. Because in some way it makes it easier for me to communicate with men, and don't fall for every hot guy that cross my path, and I can judge men much better than the average women.'

Shanna smiled 'True, but do remember that wearing women's cloths and wearing make-up is key in the business world.'

'Then Shanna can you teach me?'

'Sure thing.'

Jack heard the conversation and he was relieved to hear she asked Shanna for help.

'Jemisha do you feel itchy lately?'

'No not really.'

'Well seems your wounds on your back seem all healed up and you can start you moisturizing cream so your skin will be supple again. You also don't have to bandage it up your stomach anymore so let's start with the cream today.'

'How often does it need to be applied?'

'Just like your bandage twice a day.'

Shanna started to apply the cream and Jemisha was removing her bandage of her arms.

Shanna saw the wounds were almost completely healed.

'By the looks of your healing on your arms I guess another week and you don't need to apply any bandage on your arms.'

Jemisha was happy but her face was her biggest concern.

After Shanna was done she washed her hands again and used alcohol again and carefully took of the bandage from her face.

Shanna saw her wound was also halfway of healing but the scaring could be hidden by her long hair.

'Hey their pretty.'

Jemisha looked at Shanna in surprise.

'What do you mean?'

'Do you want to see?'

Jemisha nodded.

Shanna took her to the mirror and showed Jemisha her face.

Jemisha started to cry out of happiness.

The last time she saw her face it looked horrible and never wanted to look at herself again.

'Well when it's fully healed you can use makeup to cover it up and if you keep your hair down nobody would be able to see it.'

Jack was alarmed because he heard her cry and came in to the room.

"Black Rose what's wrong?"

'I'm still a pretty girl.'

Jack saw her face and saw her smile and the scar didn't look as bad as what everybody first thought it would look.

Jack gave her a hug, "You will always be our pretty girl, because we know you."

Shanna placed a small gauze on her face 'Well that's all you have to wear until its fully healed, is it bearable?'

'Hmm, I don't mind at all.'

Shanna told Jack all the healed up wounds need to be rubbed with a cream and she could take a bath now, she needed to be careful washing her hair, and her arms couldn't be submerged just yet.

Shanna then told Jack to leave because she was going to change her cloth.

Jack nodded and left the room.

Shanna went through Jemisha's closet and pick a few things.

When she was done she asked, 'Do you feel uncomfortable or insecure while wearing these type of cloths?'

'No…I can finally dress myself up a little more than before.'

'Good, now let's go we don't have much time.'

Jemisha nodded.

When she came out of the room everybody was in the living room.

But when they saw Jemisha walking into the living room a little more confidant and wearing more feminine cloths they were all surprised, she looked so beautiful.

'Boys I know it has been a while, but don't start drooling now.'

Jemisha was laughing.

'I'm out shopping with Shanna.'

"Have fun Black Rose."

[Cafe]

Jemisha and Shanna were waiting for Harvey to arrive.

While they were waiting Jemisha heard a familiar voice she clenched her fist and Shanna noticed.

"Jenifer!?"

Jemisha didn't respond nor looked up she kept up talking with Shanna.

Suddenly a young man put his hand on her shoulder and turned her around.

Jemisha was face to face with her stepbrother.

'Can I help you?'

"A I'm sorry I thought…"

'Hmm?'

"You look so similar to my stepsister Jenifer Griseo"

'Well I heard that a lot in the past, I and Jenifer were close friends. Some people thought we were sisters.' Jemisha smiled.

'But she is dead, my best friend died 2 years ago.'

Jemisha took out her business card and handed it over to the young man.

He looked at the card "You work for ST labs?'

Jemisha started to laugh 'Your such an ignorant boy, I'm the founder of ST laps, I own that company, I'm the big boss.'

'Well ST-Labs was an idea of your stepsister, because her life was hell and she was abused a lot. And when she got kidnapped and killed 2 years ago…I swore to myself to set up the company she always wanted, ST-Labs is her legacy.'

'Now if you don't mind and buzz off, I have a business meeting soon.'

The young man excused himself and left.

'Jemisha are you alright?'

'I want to wring that little bastards neck…'

Jemisha took a few breaths and calmed down.

'But I have to be patient, they will pay later.'

After a few minutes a middle age man arrived.

He walked up to Jemisha table.

"Hello there."

Jemisha recognize his voice and looked up and smiled.

'Hello Boss, nice to see your face for the first time.'

The man laughed and sat down.

Jemisha had a good look of his face, 'I didn't expect Boss still look this handsome despite your age.'

Before her was a man standing with dark brown reddish hair and grey eyes

'Pfft.'

Shanna wanted to laugh. 'Jemisha aren't you a bit rude with your words?'

The man laughed.

"How should I refer to you?"

'Just use my name, we are family after all, plus there are some annoying flies here so…'

"What makes you say we are family?"

Jemisha showed her ID 'We have the same last name; Argenti. Should I start calling you dad or uncle?'

"So you figured it out."

'Hmm, is it because you feel obligated to protect me because of my mother?'

"You can say that…I promised her if you were ever in trouble I would help you, even if it would be necessary take you in."

'The reason I called you here Boss is because you knew my mom, so I want to know if you ever investigate her accident, and if you were at her funeral?'

Harvey looked at Shanna and she let him know it was oke to tell her about it.

"I did and I was, but when I looked back at the funeral you weren't there."

'Ahh… yeh that's correct, my grandparent's didn't want me to attend.'

'So what were you to my mother?'

"We met in university, and we fell in love…"

"But since I'm from the underworld her life would be in constant danger so we broke up."

"When she told me she was pregnant, she said; if there were ever come a day she would leave the world and you behind; if I could watch over you."

Jemisha processed everything and found a few thing strange.

'How was my mother's funeral?'

"It was small, it was only your father, grandparents me and two other friends."

'Boss be honest with me, is my mother still alive isn't she?'

Harvey looked up but hid his surprise, she was very smart.

"If she is, do you want to meet her?"

'Well I would love to, but…'

Jemisha looked dejected.

'If my mom is indeed alive, that means she faked her death for a reason and I don't want to jeopardize her life for my own selfish feelings.'

'Boss is my mother happy?'

"She is, but she feels awful for leaving you and misses you a lot."

'Then can you pass her a message?'

"Sure."

'Tell her I understand her reason and I always believed she was still alive, her daughter Jenifer died 2 years ago but she is still alive in Jemisha Argenti.'

"Jemisha how is your business doing?"

'It's doing great, I have contracts with tons of companies all over the world and even the military all over the world are interested but I declined them.'

"Why?"

'Because I don't trust them, and besides I set it up for companies, but since the system is so good, I'm thinking of expanding it to the common people, and I'm working on a DV version.'

'But my company could also be the downfall of the underworld…because my system is un-hackable…'

"How so?"

'Because as soon as somebody tries… let's just say, the device will be rendered useless and can never be repaired when they attempt.'

'Not even the best man hacker in the world can hack it.'

'Just pass that warning to your gangs… tell them to stay away from me, because this Rose will utilize her thorns if there is another attempt on my life.'

'I did nothing to you guys but they still keep coming.'

'Jemisha…I don't think you should…'

'What…going from gang to gang and warn them all is a pain, isn't it faster to pass the message directly to a king…'

The man laughed again.

'And he doesn't seem like an unreasonable man.'

'Shanna, I know your worried about me…but I threatened his ass 2 years ago when I was only 16 years old.'

'Right Boss.'

"Hmm, but I don't dislike young girls or young women showing their bottom-line."

Jemisha then showed him something and then gave him a USB-drive.

"What do you want in return?"

'I want two things… one is that I have permission to wipe-out any of your gangs who tied to attack me, and second is I want somebody to infiltrate the Griseo family.'

'And to be exact my grandparents place.'

"Done…but still that's a cheap price…"

'Well I'm not a greedy person…while I don't lack money and properties, I do lack man power.'

The man stood up and stretched out his hand, Jemisha took it and shook it.

'Great doing business with you Mister Harvey.'

The man smiled at her and left the coffee shop.