“You’ve been running your mouth too much, Zade,” Cassius called him by his real name.
Zero laughed, even with the pain coursing through his mouth. He glanced over at Cassius.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen your Devil. What a breath of fresh air.”
“You killed Isabella Wallington. Why?”
Zero laughed harder, a sound that made Cassius’s jaw clench with anger. He moved swiftly to grab Zero’s collar.
“Spill it out, Zade. You’re not going to like my next move,” he growled.
“C’mon, Cassius, I know you well. Stop pretending to be so innocent, like you’ve never had blood on your hands before…”
In the next moment, a knife was at Zero’s neck, drawing out a small trickle of blood.
“I don’t mind adding another,” Cassius glared.
“You know damn well you can’t kill me. I won’t spill, even if I die. That’s just how I roll.”
“It must be someone pretty powerful, huh? Or are you just trying to piss me off?”
“Both,” Zero chuckled, and Cassius let go of him.
“Well, that would be pretty fun. Your death won’t be simple, Zero. I’ll strip you down bit by bit, and when your head is about to explode with frustration, I’ll kill you,” Cassius declared, then turned to leave.
“I was your friend, Cassius, the one you grew up with, begged in the streets with. We were brothers with the same fucking dreams. I helped you get to that position of yours, Cassius! I did dirty things behind your back to help you fight your way up there. And what happened when you got it? You pushed me aside like I never existed!” Zero roared, his eyes blazing with anger. Cassius halted.
“I never asked you to do dirty things for me. It was your choice,” Cassius glanced over his shoulder. “You and I are completely different. That’s why whatever was between us was ruined.”
Zero clenched his jaw.
Cassius continued, “You want to see my Devil? Then I’ll reveal it to you.”
With that, he left the building. He had thought of destroying everyone in and around it, but that wasn’t how he dealt with things.
He loved to watch his enemies suffer before ending them.
Zero laughed hard inside.
“I thought you didn’t have a weakness, Cassius, but I guess I was wrong. The Wallington daughter and your little bastard,” he mumbled.
___
Dylan had just finished his breakfast. His round eyes were a bit worried.
“Father didn’t come home yesterday. Is everything alright?” Dylan asked Butler Conrad.
“Yes, young master,” Conrad responded politely.
“I don’t really like the title, ‘young master.’ I’m younger, you know. Can I call you uncle?” Dylan asked.
“If the young master wishes-”
Dylan blinked, pouting his small lips. Seeing this, Butler Conrad corrected himself.
“Yes, Dylan.”
Dylan smiled. “Thanks for the meal, Uncle!”
Butler Conrad loved Dylan a lot. The aura around him was enough to make any sane person fond of him.
“You’re welcome, Dylan,” he smiled.
“What about Father? Is he alright?” Dylan asked worriedly.
“He’s fine, probably just busy. He’ll be back soon,” Conrad assured him.
___
“He can’t divorce me.”
“He can’t do anything to harm me.”
“He just can’t.”
Paisley kept repeating these words as she sat on the bed, chewing on her fingers. She was shaking nervously; it had been almost two days.
“I’m the mother of his child. He can’t harm me,” Paisley mumbled.
A doctor stepped in, pushing a medical cart, a mask covering his face.
“Time for your shot, ma’am,” the doctor announced.
Paisley nodded and pulled up her sleeve for it; however, she stopped with a frown.
“It’s not evening yet. Why am I getting a shot this early?” She inquired as she watched the doctor preparing the injection.
“The medical routine changed. This is a shot you need to take after three of the burns,” he replied lightly.
“Are you new here? I’ve never seen you before. Why are you covering your face when I don’t smell?”
“It’s just a professional act, ma’am. Sorry if it might have offended you. Let me have your arm,” he said and moved to inject her, but she stopped him.
“Let me see your face,” she demanded, and the man’s eyes flickered with something dangerous.
Paisley knew she wasn’t safe and made to scream, but he was quick to cover her face with a cloth and forcefully shoved the injection into her arm.
Paisley’s scream echoed through the ward, but it was cut short as the fluid began to take effect immediately.
“Done,” the man informed over his earphone and left the hospital.
Soon, chaos erupted in the hospital as Paisley was rushed into the operating room, her life in danger.
___
After Tatiana visited Dylan, she hadn’t seen Cassius and was informed he hadn’t been around since he left.
Her mind had been in turmoil ever since that day. Zero wouldn’t reveal who sent him, her work had been stressful, Dylan’s safety was on her mind, and the scandal surrounding her loomed large.
Maybe she shouldn’t have set foot in this damn country. Her life was perfect in Europe with Catelyn, and now…
She didn’t even know what was going on.
A car suddenly appeared in front of her, and she quickly hit the brakes. The force made her hit her head on the steering wheel.
Blood trickled down her forehead since she had forgotten to put on her seatbelt.
“Fuck,” she cursed when she saw the blood running down her forehead. Her vision blurred, but she noticed a figure getting out of the car in front of her.
Perhaps he wanted to apologize, but it didn’t seem like it. She spotted something that made her eyes widen. A gun.
She reached for her phone and quickly called the first person on her mind-Cassius, hoping he would pick up.
The door opened, and she was dragged out, pulled by the hair.
Tatiana was forcefully pinned against the car, a grip on her neck that knocked the air out of her lungs. The pain in her head intensified, and her vision blurred even more. She was losing consciousness.
Her eyes locked on the dark figure, all covered in black. Even with his face obscured, Tatiana recognized him.
“Zero.”
“Nice, you’re pretty good at recognition. Sorry, baby, I won’t be able to keep the promise of letting you go. Cassius is busy dealing with my fucking empire, so you and that little bastard of yours are the only ones I can use against him,” Zero spat.
Bastard?
Tatiana’s eyes darkened. The pain she felt disappeared, replaced with anger.
Her knee went straight to his groin, hard enough to make his eyes shift downward. A resounding cry left his lips, and she used the opportunity to grab the gun but failed.
Zero, now enraged, harshly pinned her against the car again. “Nice try,” he growled.
His eyes spotted Tatiana’s phone with an ongoing call displayed on the screen, with the name ‘Mr. King’ on it.
“You called him?” He growled, fear flickering in his eyes. Tatiana slowly brought out a pen from her pocket. There’s no way she was going to let him take her.
“Your punishment just doubled, woman. Do you think he’ll be that fast to come here and save you?” Zero taunted, but a cold, deep voice sounded behind him, making his heart skip a beat.
“I’m already here, asshole.”