Despite being pinned to the ground, the man lashed out with the knife, but Eva was prepared. She dodged his wild swing, her attention shifting to the warehouse door. The rest of the men were still outside, preoccupied with unloading supplies.Her brief distraction gave him an opening. He grappled with her, nearly flipping her over his shoulder.‘Judo practitioner, huh.’ Eva realized. Since she already knew his fighting style, she instantly predicted his next move. She adjusted and quickly sidestepped his next move with precision.“Sorry, buddy. But I don’t have time for this kind of entertainment.” She muttered, slamming her hidden blade into his body. She didn’t hesitate. Each strike was calculated, aimed at vital points. The man struggled in her grip, but Eva didn’t relent.She knew she had only one shot at this. One chance to escape before they strapped her into that chair and unleashed a world of pain on her. Her survival depended on it. It was his life or hers.Blood soaked his
Eva stood poised, her body a coil of tension as the men advanced toward her. Her voice cut through the tense silence like a blade, mocking and unbothered. "Mercy? What kind?" She tilted her head slightly, as if seriously considering their offer, but her eyes were sharper than her words. Her brow creased into a frown when she realized the weird stance the men before her were in and the expression they were trying to hide. It was subtle, but the way their eyes shifted from her to the boxes stacked around her gave away their fear. Was that why they were so wary? They weren’t just after her, there was something in those crates, something valuable, maybe even dangerous. From her vantage point, Eva noticed the lids on the crates were barely secured, almost as if someone had hastily thrown them on and from where she was standing, she could easily reach out to whatever was inside. Probably she could find something inside one of the crates that could change the odds in her favor. “Woman, sho
The sharp whistle of a bullet tearing through the air broke her trance. Her senses, heightened by the adrenaline coursing through her veins, reacted faster than her conscious mind. At the last moment, Eva twisted enough for the bullet to graze her arm before embedding itself in the metal wall behind her with a hollow thud. Her body moved with a grace that didn't feel too foreign to her, instinct taking over as she dodged the next onslaught of bullets. The warehouse filled with chaos as her enemies fired relentlessly. However, Eva moved like a ghost, she felt as if her entire body was a machine in itself, dodging every bullet and weapons aimed at her. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply before firing the first shot. BANG! Suddenly a scream split the air. One of the men fell, clutching his leg, his face contorted in agony while letting his guard down. It was a brief moment of suffering as a bullet flew to his head and ended him swiftly. It's a clean kill. Minutes passed in a
"Hugo!" The leader cried out in anguish, dropping to his knees beside the body of his fallen brother who was in the middle of a blood pooling. He was the same man who had slammed Eva's forehead into the floor repeatedly. Eva's lips curled in disdain as she watched the display. The leather had been ruthless moments ago, his cruelty unshaken. But now, cradling his dead sibling, he was nothing more than a pathetic shell of a man. "BROTHER HUGO!" Another voice rang out, filled with grief. The sniper, distracted by the loss of longtime mentor, that was his first mistake. His second fatal mistake was exposing himself open without defense. Before he had the chance to grieve, Eva's bullet found its next target, piercing his skull in one clean shot. Thirty eight down. Two more to go. Eva aimed her assault rifle in the other man's direction. However, she frowned when the pistol-wielder had vanished from his previous position. She scanned the room and realized that she had let her guard
"One more to go."Her voice was eerily calm and cold. At this point, her own voice didn’t sound familiar to her. And this wasn’t her, but the demon she had kept hidden at the back of her mind. Now the demon has been let out, and she doesn’t know if she can contain it again.“You…..you killed my brother.” The leader stammered as he looked at Eva, fear glinting in his eye." Yes, I did. And I'm sending you off to meet him.” Eva's voice was devoid of any sort of emotions as she looked at the leader. “I will make you pay!" The leader yelled furiously at Eva with tears streaming down his face, but she remained unfazed by him.“Do that when you get to hell." She lifted her assault rifle, her finger hovered over the trigger as she placed the barrel a few inches in front of the crying man, ready to end at once.Just as she was about to finish the leader off, the door burst open and tens of men flooded into the warehouse, each one of them wearing protective gear. They were led by men holding b
Eva's mind raced. She had to make a decision. The beast inside her was clawing to finish what it had started, to kill this final man and end the bloodshed. Her finger twitched on the trigger. "I'm doing what I have to," After a while, she replied, her voice a low murmur. She didn't even recognize her own tone anymore, hardened by violence and pain. This wasn’t who she wanted to be, but circumstances had forced her into a life of brutality.Raphael narrowed his eyes. "You've done enough," he said sternly, taking another step closer. His gaze flickered down to the man at her feet, then back to her face. "Put the gun down."Eva's breathing quickened. Put the gun down? After everything she had done, after she had killed so many men in this warehouse, after all the blood she had spilled, how could she simply stop now? But the way her uncle looked at her, as if he could see through her every thought, made her hesitate."Eva." he said again, this time softer. "Put the gun down." Before E
A soft sound escaped her throat, somewhere between a gasp and a sob. The reality of it all threatened to crush her, but what made it worse was the man standing only a few feet away. Damien, the one person she had tried so hard to protect from seeing this side of her. The man who had saved her once before, now witnessing the depths of her darkness.As usual, Damien’s face was unreadable, through a storm raged behind his eyes. He seemed at a loss for words, struggling to reconcile the frail woman he had held in his arms earlier with the one now standing before him, surrounded by carnage. His jaw clenched as his gaze fell to the assault rifle in her hands, her finger still curled around the trigger. The weapon hung from her grip as if it were an extension of her body, a part of her.He had heard the gunshots long before entering the warehouse, and fear had gripped him like never before. He had thought—no, he had convinced himself that he was too late. The thought of finding her body ridd
Damien's expression shifted slightly as he took in her disheveled appearance. Blood streaked down her neck, and bruises marred her delicate skin. Her forehead was still bleeding from a gash, and her swollen cheek was evidence of the violence she had endured. The temperature in the warehouse dropped and everyone felt a murderous aura while Damien hands balled into fists at his sides as anger flared within him—not at her, but at the ones who had dared to hurt her.His anger was palpable, but Eva misread it entirely. She saw the fury in his eyes and assumed the worst. Her heart shattered into a thousand pieces as tears burned at the back of her eyes, threatening to fall. She had prepared herself for this, for the cold rejection she believed was inevitable. She could handle his anger, his fire, but what terrified her was what came after—the cold indifference, the way he treated strangers. That was what she feared most, being pushed aside, discarded like she was nothing.Her vision blurre
Damien’s patience was wearing thin. He had no time for groveling and lies.Sensing his boss’s growing irritation, Eric opened his mouth to speed up the conversation, but before he could, Oliver burst into the room.“Hey, Mr. Piggy, could you shut up?” Oliver snapped, his bright yellow hoodie and ripped jeans contrasting with the grim atmosphere. He twirled a sleek switchblade in his hand, his boyish face betraying a sinister grin.Rex’s brows furrowed at the newcomer. Was this some kind of joke? Who let this disrespectful kid into the room? Besides, wasn't this one way too young to even be here? He was dressed naively young, like a baby chick with that bright clothes.“Hey, human garbage,” Oliver growled, his playful demeanor shifting in an instant. His eyes turned wild, and his grin morphed into something feral. “Don’t look at me like that.” He hurled his knife with terrifying precision, the blade grazing Rex’s neck and leaving a shallow cut. Blood trickled down, making Rex stumble b
Damien didn't speak, instead, he pulled out a gun, turning it around and examining it, a crude expression on his face.His right-hand man, Eric, stepped forward. Unlike his boss, Eric is also active and very talkative in this kind of moment when it comes to cleaning up filth like this."Take a guess," Eric said coolly, his tone sharp enough to cut glass.Rex’s eyes darted to Damien, who was calmly examining a sleek, custom-made gun. A shiver ran down his spine. He recognized the weapon—a modified Smith & Wesson, known for its devastating effects. The bullets it fired didn’t just kill, they tortured, leaving behind excruciatingly slow, acid-induced agony. It was an acid that burned through everything until the pearly white bone was exposed. That pain alone would have people begging for death over mercy.Mr. Damien, I-I’m not sure of the purpose of your visit. V-velvet vipers hasn’t interfered with the Cross’s business—”“Blood fist.” Damien’s icy voice cut through the tense atmosphere,
Just as Rex reached for his expensive wine again, the door to the room burst open with a thunderous crash, silencing the revelry in an instant. Crimson laser dots swarmed the room, targeting every man, freezing them in place.Rex barely blinked when he saw the commotion. It was not something new to have enemies barge into the place he was having fun. Probably, it would end with another threat conversation before the other party leaves. Calmly, he sipped his drink and set it down. But just as his fingers released the glass, a bullet shattered it, spilling the expensive liquor onto his custom Dior shoes."Bold little bastards," Rex muttered, his patience wearing thin. Reaching into his waistband, he pulled out a pistol.Upon seeing the lethal weapon in his hand, the women beside scattered like frightened mice, their shrieks piercing the tension-filled air. They weren't women who worked for the clan, instead, they were just simple escorts and prostitutes called in to please these big-sho
After switching the light on, her eyes landed on a set of bags near the couch. The scent of familiar dishes wafted through the air, and her heart twisted painfully. He had brought her favorite foods, likely intending to eat with her.He had wanted to eat with her. Her chest prickled with guilt and for a moment, she hesitated.But then she glanced at the shattered vase she had thrown in anger, and the guilt was replaced by frustration. Gathering the bags, she marched to the door and opened it to find Damien’s bodyguards standing stiffly outside.“You must be hungry standing out here all day,” she said, shoving the bags into their hands. “Take these. I’m not in the mood to eat.”The men exchanged bewildered glances.“Lady Boss, are you sure—”“If you don’t want them, throw them away,” she said curtly, shutting the door before they could protest further.“We can't really toss this away, can't we? This is too expensive." One of the bodyguards said, glancing at the bag while the others nod
His scowl deepened, and for a moment, she thought he might explode. But instead, he bit back whatever retort had been on the tip of his tongue. He knew that pushing her further would only backfire.“I understand you hate hospitals,” he said after a long pause, his voice gentler. “But staying here and resting is for your own good. You’re too stubborn to take care of yourself, so I have to do it for you.”Did he view her as a child? Why was he so persistent in keeping her here? She could recuperate somewhere else with a personal doctor — anything was fine, as long as it wasn't this chemical-filled location brimming with painful memories.Eva’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I don’t need your intervention.”His eyes narrowed, his irritation simmering just beneath the surface. “Don’t be stubborn—”“You’re a hypocrite,” she shot back before she could stop herself. Well, to some extent, she was hypocritical."Ehm, ehm……you demand me to not be stubborn, but here you are again, also being st
Eva felt her heart ache at the tone of Damien's voice, so small and fragile, like that of a lost child. Her chest tightened with guilt for having pushed him to this point. Her logical mind chastised her for taking things too far, while her heart yearned to soothe and comfort him.“Will you do it again?” she asked softly, her fingers tracing gentle circles over his rough, calloused hands.Immediately, his hand shifted to clasp hers tightly, intertwining their fingers in a firm yet comforting grip. Her heart skipped a beat at the gesture, a tiny smile tugging at the corners of her lips.“I can’t promise you a definite no,” he admitted, his deep voice muffled as he rested his head on her shoulder. He breathed her in—the intoxicating, calming scent of jasmine filling his senses and clouding his mind. “But I will try my hardest to be lenient.”She paused, unsure how to respond. Sensing her silence, Damien tightened his hold on her fingers, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.“Are you sti
Eva’s heart pounded as she searched for a way to diffuse his anger. She knew that escalating this tension would only make things worse. Desperate, she decided to play a different card—a gamble.“Tell me, how would you like to handle the consequences? Perhaps I should start with—" He was interrupted when she abruptly stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. The suddenness of her action made him freeze in place.“What are you doing?" He blinked. "Damien," she murmured softly, her voice sweet and soothing. She pressed her face against his chest, rubbing her cheek against the silk of his shirt.His body stiffened, his clenched fists trembling at his sides. "This won't work," he said, though his voice had lost its sharp edge."I'm cold," she whispered, her words muffled against his chest."Eva," he warned, but his tone lacked conviction."Won’t you hug me?" She tilted her head up, gazing at him with wide, pleading eyes and a slight pout on her lips. Her heart ski
After bidding Belle goodbye and promising her one last time that she would return tomorrow, Eva walked down the hospital halls with a spring in her step. A soft hum escaped her lips, her arms filled with snacks Belle had insisted she take. The little girl had brightened her day and made her feel less alone in the dreariness of the hospital."You shout it out, but I can't hear a word you sayI'm talking loud, not saying muchI'm criticized, but all your bullets ricochetShoot me down, but I get up," Eva softly sang, her favorite song playing in her mind as she strolled back to her room. She smiled, wondering if her friend Nathalie would enjoy the snacks she was carrying.“I'm bulletproof, nothing to loseFire away, fire awayRicochet, you take your aimFire away, fire awayShe was in such a good mood that she even gently danced along the hallway to her. “You shoot me down, but I won't fallI am titanium………..”“You shoot me down, but I won't fallI am titanium” a low voice suddenly com
She paused, her mind flashing back to the countless fights, the shattered dishes, the cold silences that followed her every rebellion. "But I didn’t let their expectations control me. I chose my path, even when it meant walking away from them entirely." Eva let out a sigh, her gaze still focused outside the window. " I really loved it when I refused them, even though it would earn me being slapped senselessly. I always find pleasure somehow and I took pride in becoming the perfect, graceful black sheep of that damned family.” Belle hung on every word, her eyes wide with admiration and curiosity."But," She continued. “I only did it when I was a grown adult, legal enough to make my own choices. My plan wasn't perfect nor did it work in pleasing my family, but then again, why should I continue to please them when they were never family to me in the first place?" Eva gently moved her gaze back to Belle, leaning forward, "However, as someone who has gone through all that, you should k