Bad Liar

Cattleya’s POV

Bang! A gunshot reverberated across the room in an instant. It gave me chills to think that someone might shoot me and I'd die. 

I felt like I could pass out at any time. 

When I turned around, I saw the man, bloodily, lying on the floor with his eyes open. 

Jaxon covered my eyes with his palm. "Don't stare at him."

I stared at Jaxon in horror, my hands trembling, but somehow I managed to stay calm. 

He took me outside and called someone on his phone. "I have a job for you," he said, glancing at me.

He walked back inside and continued talking. I still don't know what I've gotten myself into. It felt like I put myself in danger with the most dangerous man.

He'd killed someone right in front of me without even flinching. 

He stood there, staring at the dead body like it was nothing to him.

When he came back, he said, "We need to get out of here. No one should see you." 

I gasped softly. "But what about the..."

"Don't worry about him," he cut in. "My men will clean him up." 

He grabbed my wrist tightly and escorted me to his tinted black car. 

My heart pounded in my chest, threatening to burst.

I glanced at him, took a deep breath, and thought to myself, "This is the price of seducing the devil mafia lord." 

There has been no resolution to the mystery surrounding my twin sister's death, and now my own actions have put me in danger's way. 

What should I do? 

Do I have to save this moment to ask him who's my twin sister's killer? 

I looked away as soon as he looked at me because, damn, his presence made me tense all over. 

"You okay?" he asked quickly as his gaze went back to the road.

"Do you think I'm fine?" I let out a soft sigh and put my palm to my face. "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone what you did earlier. Please let me go; I promise not to tell anyone." 

He laughed and then said, "Why would I let you go? You know something about me, the real me. I'm not sure where you got that information, but I need to keep my public picture safe. I'm not going to let this go and let you ruin me."

I gave him a frown and told him, "I'm not going to do that, okay? I'm only looking for the person who killed my sister."

"That's why you led me to your trap, right? I guess you forget who I am, Cattleya. Before I start looking for you, I have the connections. Your true motives towards me were crystal clear before I even thought of coming across you. So, how do you know so much about me? huh?" 

I pursed my lips because I didn't want anyone else to die. The private investigator's name has to stay secret, or this crazy, dangerous man will kill him with the snap of his finger. 

I glared at him, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Or maybe you forgot who I am, I am Cattleya Sullivan, the heiress! So, if you do something to me, you’re going to jail…” 

He slammed on the brakes abruptly, causing me to gasp in shock as I lurched forward. 

I rolled my eyes and glared at him. "If you know anything about my sister's death, I'm willing to negotiate. You're a dangerous man, I know that. You kill people, you're a mafia lord, you do illegal things. But I have money, a lot of money, that could cover your entire month of illegal activities. So, maybe we can make a deal, right?"

He smirked evilly, chuckling softly as if I were some kind of clown to him. 

He leaned in and whispered, "Do you think I need your money?"

I could barely breathe properly as he leaned impossibly close. His breath tickled my lips.

I leaned back, but he leaned forward, keeping his face mere inches away. 

My eyes widened in alarm as I stared at him in nervousness. "W-What are you doing?" 

"Just getting a closer look at your face, Cattleya Sullivan," he murmured, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "It would be a shame to..." He trailed off, his finger tracing a slow path down your cheek. "...damage something so beautiful."  

"Can you move away?" I ask as I try to push him away, but he grips my wrist together, pressing it to his chest.

"But do you realize, Cattleya," he continued, his voice dropping to a low growl, "that your actions have only served to tie us closer together?"

"I... I don't want to see your face anymore if you don't know anything about my sister's death." 

"She died. But I didn't kill her if that's what you are wondering!" 

“Yes…” I gasped softly, trying to hold back the tears that were about to fall on my face. 

He lifted my chin and said, “Hey, look at me… I did not kill your sister. Now that I answered your question, who’s this person who gave you the idea about my hidden identity?” 

“I—I don’t know..” 

“You’re a bad liar, Cattleya. If you can’t give me the right answer, I’m going to keep you…” 

Thinking about my twin sister's death broke my heart again, so I closed my eyes and bit my lower lip. 

Tears were slowly running down my face. So much for my desire for revenge; I'm stuck in this challenging situation with no idea how to get out of here.

I should give it some more thought; obviously, a murderer won't admit to killing someone. 

I'm sure he knows something about how my sister died, and I need to play his game. 

For the sake of my sister, I need to win this time.

I looked him square in the eyes and whispered, "If you cannot let go of me, will you please help me in finding her killer?"

This was my gamble. I unleashed my charm, a practiced seduction. 

Success now could tilt the scales ninety percent in my favor. 

Trapping him, that was the goal.

With a mischievous grin, he asked, "Are you not afraid of me?"