Forged in Blood

[Adrian's POV]

"Please, just please let me go! I have a family, kids... I promise I won't try this again, boss..." he pleaded, his voice trembling with fear.

I gazed at him, his pitiful and pathetic appearance eliciting a slight chuckle from me. I bent down, my eyes fixed on his chained form lying on the ground as he sobbed uncontrollably.

"Why?" I questioned, my voice cold and calculating.

"What?" he stuttered, his face pale with terror.

"Why did you have to take it this far? I thought you were trustworthy, or was it just my misjudgment? Lies are told; I understand. Betrayals are made; that I understand also. But do you know why I'm angry? It's not that you wanted to sell me out to some enemies or that you were spying on me..." I whispered, approaching a nearby table and picking up a sledgehammer.

"What do you mean? All this isn't because of that?" he uttered, his face growing even paler.

"No... What really got me angry is the fact that you did it out of fear, or no, maybe the fact that you failed to achieve your aims..." I said with a sly grin, drawing the sledgehammer and slamming it onto his legs. The room filled with his screams of agony, a satisfying symphony to my ears.

I retreated the hammer, fixing my hair as I gazed upon his blood staining my hands.

"Now see what you've done here, Ryan. I'm all stained, all because of you. Can't you control where that damn blood of yours splatters to?" I yelled, slamming the sledgehammer onto his right hand, which jutted out at an unnatural angle. The crunch of bones spurred me on, and I landed another blow onto his hand.

His fingers cracked, twisting at odd angles. I hit him again and again, each blow precise and calculated.

Blood spread across the floor, and bone fragments poked out from his mangled flesh. His screams grew hoarse, becoming desperate sobs.

The room reeked of sweat and blood, his cries weakening into whimpering sobs. I stood firm, waiting for the sweet silence – the lullaby of his submission.

"That was really great fun, don't you think, Ryan?" I mocked, only to find him drifting into an unconscious state. "Come on now, the game just started, and you're already out, friend..."

Disappointed, I called out to one of my men standing guard at the basement door, "Hey, you, go bring them..." I watched him leave and return with a small container of water.

I splashed the water on Ryan's face, expecting him to jolt awake. Instead, an echoing wail of pain filled the room. His skin began to bubble, as if boiling water was poured onto him. Blisters formed, swelling and bursting, revealing raw, red tissue beneath.

His face contorted, mouth open in a silent shriek. Skin peeled away from his cheeks, dangling like ripped fabric. The stench of charred flesh filled the air, his screams turning to gurgles as if his throat was dissolving.

I watched, transfixed, as his skin melted away. A mixture of fascination and disgust washed over me, an intoxicating feeling that left me craving more.

"What did you put in the water?" I yelled, my gaze fixed on the man I ordered to bring the water.

"What are you saying, boss? You requested the acid..."

"Acid? I never requested such a thing!"

"You did, boss. You ordered it to be made available earlier, so I thought--"

Trying to pin his actions on me? Arguing? I swiftly pulled out my gun, attaching a silencer.

"No, boss, I admit it's my fault. I'll fix it."

"Fix it? And how do you intend on fixing it?" I challenged, pointing the gun at him. Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger, silencing him before he could utter another word.

"Pack him up," I ordered the other two men present, watching as they dragged his lifeless corpse away. I then removed the silencer, retreating the gun after. I bent down a bit, taking the sight of Ryan, but yet in those burnt, melting flesh, My ears could catch sounds of whisper. A twisted smile forming on my lips.

"So, you're still alive? Really thought you'd disappointed me back there. Gosh, such a relief. Can't imagine losing you too..." I said, standing up as I fixed my hair.

"What are you doing, Adrian?" a voice caught my attention. I turned to see Uncle Gavin, my father's right-hand man and one of his most loyal and trusted allies. After my pathetic father's death, his loyalty was transferred to me as I took him in to serve as my right-hand man. Sometimes, I saw him as an uncle, perhaps because he had raised and trained me when my father had neglected me in favor of my brother. I still remembered his words: "Your brother shows potential, while you... I see nothing more than a crazy lunatic. You loser, Adrian. Learn from your brother, maybe you'll hold a stand somewhere."

Well, damn him, because I'm not a loser. I was only one when my father was alive, as I was clutched under his nest. But now I am a free bird; I choose my own path, with nobody to order me around or tell me I'm a loser.

"It's really nothing, Uncle Gavin. Just having some fun here." I cut him off, uninterested in his criticism.

"You know better than to waste your time here, Adrian. While you stay here having fun, your brother is making a name for himself out there and instilling fear in those who dare to look him in the eye."

"Enough of that! You know I don't like it when you praise him in front of me."

"I don't praise him. I just wish for you to carry on your father's legacy."

"Legacy?" I scoffed. "You mean shooting, drug dealing, fighting, fear... more fighting? I have better things to do than leave my time for such unfun matters. You know I was never interested in carrying out the family legacy."

"Even so, why waste your potential on business?  A CEO? You can do better than that, Adrian.  I've seen your talent and power. Don't let it go to waste."

"Please, Uncle, I decide what I want and what I do. Is that really why you're here, interrupting my fun game?" I questioned.

"Alright, Adrian. I just hope you'll act on my word one day and leave this business stuff to take up your father's legacy. And, also, i want to inform you that a lady is here awaiting your presence."

"A lady?"

"Yeah," he replied, showing me a tablet connected to the mansion's CCTV. It displayed her seated on the couch, and I couldn't help but let out a smirk.

"Really, what took her so long?" I whispered.

"Wait. Is she the one you talked about, the strange, silly one who stained your car with her blood? The same one you took to the hospital?" Uncle Gavin questioned, a mixture of confusion and intrigue in his voice.

"Yeah..." I said, letting out a slight chuckle. "I knew from the very sight that she was my ticket to getting what I wanted."

"What do you mean, Adrian?"

"I ordered for her details to be brought to me. It seems her mother was just killed by some men, and I also learned her father died in some silly accident. Her only family left is her uncle, who was also responsible for snatching her father's property from them after their father's death..." I explained.

The whole family story felt like a movie I wished I could watch and laugh out my day...

"Alright, but how does that connect to her being of any help to you?" Uncle Gavin asked, his curiosity piqued.

"I'm sure you remember my father's will and the conditions he laid down regarding his billion-dollar worth of properties in California..."

"Wait, don't tell me—are you?"

"Yes, Uncle. I shall arrange for a contract marriage with her. Her thirst for revenge and her pathetic life make her vulnerable to my use, and once I have signed the contract with her, my father's billion-dollar worth of property, every single one of them, will belong to me. Now, who is the one wasting time here?" I said triumphantly.

"I guess I was wrong about that, Adrian."

"More than wrong. You all need to know eventually who's the best between the two brothers, and that can't be argued—because it's me." I said with a grin. "Now, take this for me, please..." I handed over the gun in my grasp to Uncle Gavin, fixing up my coat and wiping away the little bloodstains on my jacket.

I was set on leaving, but my attention was drawn back to Ryan, who was still lying there, tiny whispers escaping him.

"Oh, and yeah, please get him to the hospital, Uncle. We still have a lot of games to play, Ryan, so don't you dare die on me," I said, my eyes fixing on him for a second as his slowly met mine before they fell downcast again.

I left the basement after making my way into the mansion, rechecking for any adjustments to my coat as I walked inside. My eyes landed on her—Sierra Monroe—seated on the couch.