BOOK 3 * 1| Revenge-2

Driving the pin into his throat, I pierced through his flesh, blood squirting out and spilling onto the walls, only to trickle down and be absorbed by the carpet below. Cautious of my stance and my dress, I went in a second time, resisting as he used both hands to claw at me in an attempt to escape. "I want you to imagine," I whispered despite my labored breathing as I panted, "what those kids felt, what their final thoughts must have been when your men killed them mercilessly." His eyes went wide, his movements frantic as I cut off his airflow, suffocating him as he bled out. "I want you to feel death as they did," I huffed, "when the life was being snuffed out of them." I held out for as long as it took, blood trickling down his clothes as I slit the rest of his throat with my hairpin while asphyxiating him with what belonged to him. A heavy sigh heaved my chest as he finally went limp beneath me, and I caught my breath, standing upright, staring down at his lifeless body. This was mercy. If I had it my way, he would have been tortured until he begged for death. Lifting the back of my hand to my nose, I wiped away and took a quick glance around before crouching down. Yanking my pin out of his neck, I wiped it clean with the handkerchief before tossing the fabric beside him. "Oops," I whispered, stepping over the pool of blood before me and re-entering the hallway. Smoothing a hand over my dress, I began making my way back to the theater and twisted my hair back up, securing the pin in a bun once again. It was then that I felt a presence behind me as I walked, footsteps matching my own, lacking synchronicity by a mere beat. "Well played, Ms. Chen," he said. That voice… My feet slowed to a halt as I finished tying up my hair and let my arms drop to my sides. An annoyed sigh escaped me as I spun around and faced him. Kai fucking Warner. Impatiently, I lifted a brow. "Can I help you, Mr. Warner?" With an amused smirk playing on his lips, he continued to stroll forward, each step bringing him closer to me. Adorning a classic black tux and a crisp white button-up, he looked as charmingly clean as he always did. Not one thing was improper, not a single hair on his head was out of place. His bow tie sat perfectly straight, and his rich black hair was neatly combed back, only a single strand betraying him to fall over his eyes that twinkled with challenge and dare. When his gaze met mine, a spark of hatred flared up in them. His almond eyes often contradicted the coldness within him, shining with a hint of charm and his monolids were the epitome of beauty in the culture we belonged to. Visually, there was not one thing about this man that a woman like me could despise… which only made me hate him more. "Frank Murray," he said. "You're the agent Marshall finally assigned that case to." I tipped my chin up to meet his gaze. "What's it to you?" I asked. "That case should have been mine," he said, his jaw ticking in anger as he kept his hands tucked away in his pockets. "Then you should have taken it when he offered it to you," I bit back. "The FBI can't afford to wait on anybody, Your Highness. Not even you." His brow twitched up. "Humble yourself," I scoffed, "you're not that special. While you run your Daddy's empire, some of us have missions to complete." "Careful, Ms. Chen. You wound me," he said dryly, lifting a hand to his chest. My eyes narrowed at his antics. It was always a competition. Unsaid, unspoken. But always a rivalry. Call it tradition, if you will. The Warner-Chen feud had been running in our bloodlines for decades, engraved in my mind since I was born. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but never a Warner; never Kai. One learned what one was taught, and coming from a family of liars, snakes, and manipulators, Kai was no saint. He would always try to steal what was mine, always try to beat me in every game. I couldn't let it happen. I wouldn't. His eyes scanned my face for several seconds before drifting to the slope of my neck. "You might as well scream bloody murder yourself," he mused, lifting a hand to touch me. I swatted it away almost immediately. "Hands to yourself, Warner." "Easy there, Chen," he smirked, clearly entertained. I don't know what about me he finds so fucking amusing. It's like I give him the thrill of his life, that asshole. Lifting his thumb to his mouth, he lightly sucked on it before brushing it along my skin where my collarbone met my neck. "You've got blood on you," he said. "Hmm," I hummed, pushing his hand off. "Touch me again, and it'll be yours." His brows shot up in mock surprise. "Oh, I'm terrified," he said sarcastically, "please don't hurt me." I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "Go fuck yourself, Mr. Warner." I spun around to leave, stopping immediately when I felt him tug the Kanzashi hairpin out of my hair. Gasping quietly, I turned back around, a scream of frustration crawling up my throat. Only the moment I faced him, he stepped forward, invading my space entirely when his body brushed against mine, and he lifted the sharp edge to my chin. "Next time you take what's mine, Ms. Chen," he paused, trailing the weapon down my throat, "I won't be so kind." My eyes fell to the non-existent distance between us, watching where his chest met mine before I looked at him once again. "That's your problem, isn't it? Being a Warner, you always assume everything you want will be handed to you," I told him, "but you know what? The world doesn't work that way. If you want something, you need to fight for it." His eyes bore into mine, and for several minutes, we stood in silence, waiting to see who would break. No one moved, no one even blinked. Our breaths were in sync, our bodies rigid, holding back. "I'll get my revenge," he finally said, lifting the pin off my skin, "it's what I do best." Brushing past me as his arm met my shoulder, he sauntered off in his bubble of arrogance. Scoffing, I spun around and watched him pause at one of the theater doors. Turning to me, he lightly tipped his head forward in greeting. "Ms. Chen," he said before opening the door and slipping inside. God, I fucking hate him.