chapter 9. Big Betch

[chapter 9. Big Betch]

She looked at the beeping red light in the room's top right corner. Then she turned to face the man in the suit who was watching her; her bloodied face bloomed with a disturbing smile before she turned back to the camera.

"Did I pass the test, Big Boss?"

Her tone contained mirth. Her words made the gray-haired man's eyes widen with surprise.

How did she know someone was monitoring her every move, and that person was the Big Boss himself? His suspicious gaze scanned the girl.

His eyes raked over her grisly appearance; her white shirt soaked in warm crimson liquid with a malignant smile on her red lips. Her orbs gleamed like emeralds with a fiery spark lit inside them.

"Follow me," he said after a minute which seemed like an eternity had passed away.

She smiled sweetly at him. "Please," she urged.

The man looked around the dead bodies again, and a tired sigh left his lips.

He led her to the floor above. Selena's eyes wandered as she took the step out of the room. People looked at her differently. Their heads bowed curtly in the direction of the gray-haired man. She walked alongside him, matching his steps. Her head held high, unconcerned about her unkempt appearance.

He led to a passageway that opened out of the bright red wall, a floor above where she had slaughtered those heinous animals. She inhaled a small breath and walked in as the door opened.

The moment she saw Rafael Sullivan's face, her hand itched to grab her strawberry. An annoying sensation rose deep within her heart. Fucking Big Boss. No, more like Big Bitch.

But because she is a good girl, she controlled her urge to poke him with a knife.

Her calculated gaze darted around the room analyzing everything. Alaric, the right-hand man, was standing beside the mighty boss. The left-hand man Fabian sat around the bar, as usual. the dark-skinned man appeared distant and not bothered.

Selena let out a charming smile as she stepped in. She did not even bother putting on an act, or so she led them to believe.

Alaric was the first one to be surprised when he saw the live footage. He could no longer believe in anything that looked harmless and innocent. Such a good actress, he muttered to himself. He cursed his stupidity for choosing to ignore such a threat when she had overheard their conversation with the bald Russian. Wait, did she know Russian? Many questions swirled in his mind.

He should have killed her the moment he saw her for the first time.

Alaric clenched his fist. He damned his actions and resolved to kneel before the Mighty and beg for forgiveness. Such a mistake could have cost them everything had the Boss not planned the trap for the girl.

Selena remained stagnant in the dimly lit room, a few feet away from the Big Boss who sat on the chair that resembled a throne in admiration of his imperious aura.

Her eyes locked with the powerful man. Her smile widened, noticing she was in the room full of ghost guards, assassins who were hidden deep in the shadows, so well that their breaths could not be heard.

Selena's senses heightened. She let her body relax and her mind clear. The golden ring on her right hand was moved to her left pinky finger.

Hmm, she contemplated. Her chances of escaping unscathed were only 17% if Big Boss did not take part in it. I can't take such a chance. The Marianos would find out, and she cannot allow that to happen.

But how could she let this cruel man's ruse slip away so easily? He should know that she is not a woman to be messed with. As a result, she acted on her emotions.

"Let go of me," she growled, gone was the innocent act. Her sharp nails clawed at him grazing his jaw earning a gasp from Alaric no one had ever come this close to the boss. Rafael grabbed her slender hand gracefully and with elegance pushed her against the nearest wall in a blink.

"You are trapped. There's nowhere to run now," he spoke with a taunt. She was trapped within his arms, his hands beside her face and his upper body leaning closer to her. The girl resembled the lamb caught between the canines of a lion.

"So, tell me Maeve," he crooned. "Ah, my mistake, Selena," he clicked his tongue as his chest rumbled with a deep chuckle.

She gritted her molar as she felt a sharp pain in her wrists.

"How should I punish you?" he mused.

"Lying to me, fooling my boys, and getting away unscathed," he hummed. "It irks me," his words contained an ominous tone. It was not a threat but a promise. His raven eyes looked at her enough to make her squirm internally but she did not break the stare.

She would not cower back. It was beneath her.

"The Almighty Big Boss getting fooled by a defenseless girl. It would cause a lot of damage to your reputation Mr. Sullivan. Won't it," she smirked coyly, jabbing a finger into his hard chest.

"How about I keep my mouth shut about that night and you let go of that punishment," she offered generously.

He let out a cold laugh. Instead of being intimidated by the icy rumble, she doubled over with the same cruel laughter. His eyes darkened and his gloved hand gripped her jabbing finger bending it enough to bring pain but Selena was stubborn, refusing to let out a sign of hurt.

"Tell me, little chaos maker. Does your new-found family know about your true colors," he moved back from her, releasing the aching finger. His eyes gleamed with pleasure watching her face turn dark and a low growl emitting from her body.

He had hit a spot and he knew it.

She could see the sadistic man bask in reprobate pleasure. His eyes sparkled with mirth. She wanted to gauge them out. Her hand itched to grab the dagger attached to her back or the one on her left ankle or the long needles that were hidden under the sole of her boot. No, shooting him with a gun on her right ankle would be a wiser option.

But the levelheaded part of her mind knew that would be impossible. She would get killed before the dagger reached near him and it would get thrust into her chest instead.

Her eyes burned with rage as she cursed how the poison laced on her nails did not affect him. It was obvious Big Boss had poison resistance. She knew it was a part of training for this demented world. Yet she had designed the poison so that even people who were immune to poisons would be affected to a certain extent, but no. The oversized bastard's face was devoid of any sign of discomfort. Rather, he was radiating unadulterated amusement.

"Work for me," he said.

Her eyes stilled; his words did not sound like an option but the advice she needed to follow to survive.

"What if I don't want to?" She replied with a question.

"You-," Alaric started.

"Then don't," Big Boss stated.

His words made everyone snap their necks at him. What?

Selena let out a dry chuckle. Nobody in the room would believe those words. She only had two options: work for him and live or refuse and die the next second. Now thinking, she only had one option.

It finally dawned on her why he had let her go the previous two times. This scheming man, she clenched her fist.

Her eyes could see how he was watching her like a hawk, anticipating her next move. And she would give him what he desired.

"Harming me. Aren't you worried about the Mariano family's backlash?" Her fist clenched.

Rafael sat back on his chair gingerly. "I know over a thousand ways to kill a human and I can make a couple hundred of those look like an accident," he expressed.

She knew it was true. Otherwise, he would not be respected or feared as Big Boss if he could not keep his word.

However, this does not mean he can't be harmed.

He might be above all, but some people are capable of knocking him down a peg. Causing him enough damage that would make him reconsider his next move. Nobody can ever be truly prepared for what the future holds.

You never know.

Selena was now small and weak both physically and metaphorically compared to the man in front of her. She would rise to prominence and pay back tenfold. Big Bitch just wait and watch, she promised.

"All right," she said, once she is powerful enough, she will bite back.

"Leave," the giant said as another person entered the room. She turned her head around watching a quivering man enter.

"B-boss, all-l of them, all-l of them were d-dead," the trembling man cried.

Selena's ears perked up at his words but she walked away. Her skin was becoming sticky and the sensation of dried blood was unpleasant. It was as if her body was smothered by gooey period blood.

"We have prepared the same clothes for you to change into," a woman offered, leading her to a room where she could wash off the mess and drive back to the Spa before Garold noticed she was no longer there.

She walked into the blue-tiled room, allowing the cold water to cleanse her body and drench her thoughts.

Her angry heated body erupted in a scream of pure frustration, and she gripped her hair in hatred that bubbled deep within her.

Selena despised Big Bitch.

----

"You said you'd be home by seven o'clock, but you extended your time," he hissed as he watched the little girl walk with the man, he trusted to protect her.

Did she know how uneasy he felt till she returned home? How careless can she be?

"Boss," Garold began, but quickly shut his mouth after noticing his boss's glower. He bowed his head and grimaced as he walked away sending an apologetic look to Selena.

Theodore's rage grew as he looked at his daughter. She didn't even appear to be sorry. Her face had no ounce of interest in whatever was going on.

"I am sorry," she lazily said as she began to walk away. "What with that rude tone?" His words made her halt. She had enough today, especially after dealing with Big Boss. Her brain was shutting down and her body was lethargic.

The image of the man with no face flashed before her eyes. She could feel the warmth of blood on her fingertips as she slashed the faces of all eight men. Still, she could not find peace not until she killed them.

Her hands trembled, she ignored his words and began walking up.

He growled, "Stop right there, Selena Mariano."

She turned around and let out a mocking laugh. She had enough of acting well; her mind was already a mess, and the man was adding fuel to the fire. "Last time I checked. I was Selena Knight and not Mariano," she chuckled.

Theodore's eyes flashed, guilt pierced his heart, and it churned his guts. But he could not give in to her. The girl needed to understand how many enemies were watching her every move. He had already lost her once; he could not bear the agony of losing her again.

Only recently had he stopped the paparazzi from leaking her photos. Thanks to the Clemonte family he could stop the leak. The young lady had no idea how dangerous high society could be. She would drop dead the moment she revealed her vulnerability.

He wanted her to be strong and smart enough before beginning college and facing the real world. Liliana was teaching her how to hide her claws behind a polite smile and cunning behind a naïve expression, but she needed to learn more and stay home until he cleaned up the mess outside.

Selena was smart but her emotions were never under her control. He knew it was not fair to her to keep her home safe for the rest of her life. But the world isn't always fair.

He wished to protect his daughter.

But he couldn't show the little girl his vulnerable side. He needed to be the wiser person in this house and think practically that being a fool for his girl.

"Behave yourself, girl. I am your father, and I expect you to respect me," he growled.

"So, if you want respect, so do I. Respect is earned not demanded. I respect you, and you respect me as simple as that. You may have noticed I am a close person. Respect my privacy and I will be calm and easy to get along with. This entire family charade is already exhausting. And I am not used to a family. Let's take it slowly, shall we?" she clarified.

When she finished speaking, gasps and murmurs echoed through the room. The nearby servants were shocked to see someone go against the Patriarch of the house.

She approached the stairs and turned around.

"And, for the last time," she deadpanned, looking dead into his eyes. "I am a Knight, not a Mariano," she snapped.

He laughed bitterly at her words. Such behavior will not be tolerated.

"Do you think I'll be gentle with you just because you're my daughter? It's not that I care—"

"Theodore."

"Father."

The words of Liliana and Maxim both brought him to a halt and bit down his words. Liliana glared at him and shook her head. Don't, she said with her eyes.

"Good night," Selena turned away after looking at the troubled woman.

"Sweetheart, the dinner," she cut the words off. "I'm not hungry," Selena said as she walked away.

Theodore physically flinched at his wife's glare. He gulped as he looked at the fury on her beautiful face. "Dear," he began.

"Maxim, let's have dinner," she said to the emotionless son who followed her without saying anything, ignoring the dumbfounded man.

They sat in the dining room, surrounded by a tense atmosphere that could be cut off with a knife. Samuel walked into the hall wearing headphones and holding a phone. Theodore was about to tell him to stop, but when he saw his wife's smile, he gulped and shut his mouth. He knew how it would end, especially when she wore a smile like a loaded gun.

Unaware of what occurred, Samuel began eating carelessly because his entire attention was focused on the phone.

"The food is cold," the patriarch mumbled.

"Exactly. Like your behavior," his wife said with a smile.

He knew he fucked up.

----

Garold was dying his hair cerulean blue. After the spa, something seemed off about the young lady.

He let out a deep sigh. She closed her eyes during the ride back, so he didn't dare speak to her. An approachable aura surrounded her and it made his chest feel tight.

Images from today's trip flashed through his mind. His hands froze as he applied the blue color to his roots. His brow furrowed; his lips pursed.

Wait, wasn't her leather jacket's chain silver, not gold?

~~~~

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