Chapter 7 - Rivalry

SOMEWHERE underground, the elites held a meeting to discuss the events that had happened. Since their spy has been caught, information can be extracted from him by the syndicate. "How can we be so sure that he won't give out information?" One of the men asked and murmurs around the room echoed. 

"We should send another person to finish him." Everyone nodded to the suggestion. 

"Now, who has summoned me from my sleep?" The elites looked at the entrance and there stood a woman with long blonde hair that reached her bottom wearing white pants and a blacktop. Everyone was silent as she walked to the front in her black high heels. She put her hair in a low bun as her blue eyes stared at everyone with a deadpan look. 

"We didn't know you would return," one of them commented with a surprised look. The woman smirked before leaning back. "I'm back in action, baby," she said with the most devilish grin as she thought of a plan to ruin their lives. 

"Send someone to the syndicate," she commanded and they nodded. 

"To end Rae?" She raised an eyebrow before shaking her head. She leaned forward and placed her elbow on the table while her chin was on her palm. "To save him," she simply said with a serious look. They nodded before the assistant took down notes. "And leave the leader alone, we don't need her… yet." 

Once the meeting ended, the woman took her coat before getting inside her car. She put on sunglasses before driving away as she noticed that a lot had changed the day she left America. Then again, it is one of the busiest cities so naturally, it will evolve as fast as lightning. 

When she arrived at the destination, she got out of the car and looked around. She looked up at the sky and saw the scorching hot sun above her. "You're in a good mood," she said to the sun before walking to the cemetery. She took a deep breath as she gazed upon the dead men and women before she saw the name she was looking for. 

She smiled before she approached it and placed a flower down. "Someone's been taking care of your grave, huh?" she said with a smirk before bending down and placing a candle near the woman's name and lighting it. "You've been reborn," she whispered as her hand brushed over the name which states, Chloe Scott Creed, the late wife of the lawyer who seeks revenge. 

"I'll take Dianne's heart and display it for revenge and dominance," she said with a menacing look. "An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, and now… heart for a heart." 

"I'm coming for you, bitch." She said as she pulled out a photo of Dianne with Silvester when they were still together back in the day. She put the photo near the burning candle, burning Dianne's face off. 

DIANNE woke up with sweat running down her face, not remembering what she had dreamt about yet she felt uneasy for some odd reason. She wiped her face off before looking around and nothing seemed to be wrong in her room and she sighed heavily. She doesn't believe in ghosts yet the idea of the people whom she killed hunting her is worrisome. Or worse, if they return to the living. 

She breathed heavily and the hair on her body rose when her phone started ringing. She groaned loudly before grabbing it. She looked at it and saw it was from Harrison. "What do you want?!" she shouted in frustration before groaning again. The other line stayed silent and the only thing she heard was a sigh. 

"What?" she asked in annoyance. 

"Find the files I have asked you about," he said and she flipped around her bed. 

"I can't find it," she complained and he sighed again. 

"I'm telling this to the other leaders," he threatened and her eyes widened and she stood up from her bed, only to slip and hit her head on the ground after tripping on her blanket. "I'll find it," she said while holding her head. The leaders will surely have no respect if they find out that the highest of them all can't get her files sorted out. 

She rushed to her home office as she looked around for the files. She threw around the things inside every cabinet storage as she still can't find the file. What is she looking for? The files to the mansion she put up for sale and now she can't find them since it has been so long. No one ever wanted to buy it so she just didn't care anymore.

Her phone started ringing and she answered it. "Dianne?" he asked worriedly and she raised an eyebrow. "Do you perhaps know a man named Silvester Creed?" Her eyes widened and she stood up as files surrounded her. 

"What?" she asked. 

"He's the buyer," he informed and her eyeballs almost fell out of their sockets. She blinked a couple of times before ending the call and sitting down on the floor. She took a deep breath before she spotted an unopened cabinet. Hoping the file is there, she opened it only to find old recollections of memories. 

She gulped as she saw an old diary, pictures from more than ten years ago, and a necklace encased in a golden heart case. Her breathing became ragged as she saw a photo of her, Silvester, and the mansion she is selling behind them. They were planning on buying it when they get married, but they never did. Instead, she bought it for herself but grew to spite it, that's why she wanted to sell it. 

She grabbed the diary and started reading what she has written. She glanced at a drawing of a ring as she read the notebook. Silvester gave her a promise ring, telling her that he promise to marry her when the time is right. He loved her enough to promise something so significant. 

Yet it never happened. 

Just another broken promise. 

She closed the notebook before throwing it in the cabinet and shutting it. She held her heart before a single tear fell down her eye as she remembered the feeling of loving the man of her dreams, and the feeling of innocence and youth she once experienced before she was tainted by blood and death. She knows she can never revert to having a normal life. She was once the perfect normal child but now, she's considered as the merciless leader of a powerful syndicate. 

HARRISON felt as if he was playing with fire for being with Silvester. He knows what Dianne did to this man's late wife and he feels the need to run away from meeting this man. He can't believe their paths crossed, how will Dianne react when she sees Silvester again? Thousands of questions popped up in Harrison's mind which were interrupted by footsteps approaching them. 

"I'm sorry I'm late." They looked up to see Dianne walking to their table. Silvester's eyebrow raised together with Harrison. "You're the owner of the mansion?" he quickly asked and she nodded her head. Her assistant pulled her seat before sitting back down as she thanked him. 

"Yet you forgot the files?" Silvester asked and she was surprised to see him act like they'd never met before. "I lost it," she admitted. "I'll give your money back and add ten percent more to the original money you paid," she said, end of discussion. She stood up to leave but he suddenly spoke. 

"No, I want the mansion," he said and her jaw clenched. 

"I lost the files," she reasoned. He scoffed before crossing his arms. "Then find it," he commanded and her eyebrows raised before she chuckled. This man dared to boss her around. 

"You can't command me," she said with a raised eyebrow. 

"You can't suddenly kiss me, claim me as yours, and deny everything the next morning now can you?" he challenged and she immediately covered his mouth with her hand.

"What?!" Harrison stayed silent up to that moment but the shock made him shout. 

Silvester chuckled before pulling her arm down. "So you do remember? You wouldn't act this way if you don't," he teased her and she rolled her eyes before hitting his head. 

"Leave us, Harrison," she said and he furrowed his eyebrows before shaking his head. "No," he answered and she looked over at him with a glare. 

"Go." He had no choice but to follow what she has commanded and left the room on his own. The two were left together in her office as she sits down on her swivel chair. He laughed before facing her. "I'm not giving you the mansion," she sternly said. 

"Your assistant said you wanted to get rid of it," he said, determined to get the mansion. 

"Why do you want to buy it?"

"Why do YOU refuse to sell it?" 

The two stared at each other, one with a glare while the other smirked. She can't find the files and wants to keep the mansion now but he is determined to get what he wants. He stood up from his seat while walking and scanning the room. He touched a picture frame with her holding a gun and pointing it at the camera. "You said you're a secret agent yet you own a company, aren't you afraid to get caught by the public?" he asked and she laughed. 

"Never." She raised her eyebrows as she smirked before biting her lips. 

"Did you ever hesitate on killing that woman last night?" She was taken aback by the question so she started thinking if she ever hesitated. She thought for a while before shaking her head. "Why would I have mercy?" she asked confusedly. 

"That's a human being you killed, and there was no trace of her death nor your appearance in the auction. Even mine, the police, and investigators didn't find my name on the party list," he said and she smiled sweetly. 

"You're welcome." She removed his existence in the auction as well to have no loose strings since after all, he drove her home after shooting that damn woman. "You admit to being a merciless killer?" he asked and she stared at him with no expression. 

"You have no idea how this world can be cruel, Silvester. It's kill or be killed, torture or be tortured, and survive or be enslaved," she said in a serious tone. 

"I do know how this world can be cruel," he whispered as the flashback of his wife getting killed entered his mind. She clenched her jaw before looking away as the same thing entered her mind. The blood of his wife on her hands. 

"Get out," she said while breathing heavily as she felt herself suffocating. 

"But the mansion—" He tried bargaining again but she slammed her hand on her table before standing up. "Get out of my office," she calmly said and he had no choice but to leave as he saw how her expression turned upside down in an instant. 

Once he was gone, she sat down and covered her eyes as the horror of killing his wife hunted her. She started groaning and almost screaming as Harrison entered the room to console her. "Dianne- Dianne! Look at me," he uttered but nothing worked. 

"I didn't want to kill her… I didn't," she said as tears flow down her face. 

"I know, I know, Dianne. It's not your fault," he hugged her as she cried on his shoulders. She cried harder as images of Chloe entered her mind. She can't accept that she's dead, she can't get the memory out of her head. She may have killed a lot of people but killing Chloe was something she was guilty about. She wanted to give her mercy yet she couldn't. The trauma was getting to her and Harrison can only hug and console her. "I'm here…" he whispered to her ear as the warmth of his breath hit her nape. 

Silvester has no idea why she reacted that way, wondering if he said something to tick her off. The first woman she loved turned out to be rich, famous, and a secret agent. He feels weird, it seems as if she was a completely different person. "What happened to you, Dianne?" he asked as if she were with him.