CHAPTER FORTY NINE: HIDDEN SECRET II
\-BELLA-
The lady didn't look trustworthy at all; her braids laid to the side like she had just finished a whore session in a lodge. She had these cute eyes that could lure one into prison if not careful.
How did she know I needed help? Was she at the cell back then? Was she a secret member of the SWAT hoping to trail me off like I didn't exist?
"I wouldn't accept any form of help from the likes of you." I said, my tongue curled in a no.
"Don't you want to know the secret of the Prince? The main reason why you can't win against your foster sister, Artemis Mercedes."
"How do you know all these?" I walked up to her, ready to attack with the next word she lets out.
"Easy, Bimbo Bear, I know more than you think I know." She let out a smile.
The urge to wipe the smile off her face was rather tempting as she walked up close, her hands sitting pretty on her ass.
"You know nothing, nothing about my life." I said, a smirk appearing on my lips.
She walked up to the sidelines, her hands leaving her ass to curl up on her chest. She licked her lips like a true slut as her gaze found my bosom. If she was a lesbian, then she would be talking to the wrong person.
"I know you're an adopted Mercedes." She said as she walked past me.
I turned around immediately, watching her ass shake as she moved forward. "Who's your informant?"
"You're riled up already? I haven't even spoken about the lady you killed in bed style."
My jaw fell as I heard those words. My arms and legs began to tremble, fear gripping me as I walked up to her. "Who told you that?" I grabbed her by the neck, pushing her to the wall of a boutique.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." She whispered, her eyes raised up.
I trailed her eyes, the sight of a white advanced 360-degree CCTV camera clobbering me.
"What do you want from me?" I freed her from my grasp, my heart beating rapidly.
"Just like I said before, I need your help, and in return I'll lend you mine."
I couldn't help but notice the broken stone plates at the entrance of her cottage. She had made me walk her home, claiming the entire city was tagged with CCTV cameras except her bar house.
She reeked of alcohol, but surprisingly she was connected with her senses pretty much. She could hear even the slightest of sounds, her eyes roving as she searched the area.
"There's a lot you don't know, Bella. You're just living in a fantasy world, a world where you're not even noticed." She said as the door creaked open.
The sight of stabbed stairs made my heart sink. The stairs seemed old, ready to fall at the slightest step made. The cottage was just a lie; the real lair was underground.
"Are you sure this is safe?" I asked.
"It is pretty safe. It's the safest route you've ever taken in your life." She grinned, hopping down the stairs.
Countless shivers shot up in me as I stared at the stairs, little stones rolling down as the lady walked down the steps.
"Come, come, time waits for no man." Her laugh freaking me out.
I summoned up courage, my legs riled up as I walked down the stairs, which had no railings. As I walked, I could see countless people in their numbers, gold in their hands as they walked away.
"Hey!" I gulped down the fear hanging in my throat.
"The name is Delilah." She shot up a smile.
"Delilah… What is this place?" I asked.
"This right here is the home of thieves, the home of criminals whose personalities have been known by him." She stated.
"Who's him?" I questioned.
"Alexander." She retorted, her eyeballs rolling like he was a bloody loser.
"What exactly are they afraid of Alexander for? He's human, no martial arts skills, no conceptually hardened training, and all. He's a mere weakling compared to them."
She stopped in her tracks, turning to face me. Her face was stern, her muscles tensed. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain on my face.
She withdrew her fist, blowing the ring, which was now stained with blood. I touched my face, blood oozing from the cut on my cheek.
"What was that for?" I managed to say.
"That's for acting like a b*tch. You think everyone is useless, weak, and just wealthy. You're someone who judges by looks and not by what's inside; that's why you keep losing to Artemis."
"What?"
"Not one person in this room has tried to rob the Mercedes, you know why?" She raised her eyebrows.
"Because the protection is strong."
"Wrong." I got hit on the face again, blood slipping from the other cheek.
"It's because of Artemis. She's the main reason we are all here in this underground." She grunted.
"So you want revenge on her just like me?" I said in haste. She walked up to me, grabbing me by the neck. I grabbed her almost immediately in an attempt to fight back, but her hold was strong, pounding me to the rumbling stairs.
"You're just so obsessed about your insecurities; that's why you killed him, right?" She grunted.
"I didn't kill anyone."
"Jarvis Marther, he died on the day of your commercial." She raised me up, throwing me to the ground.
"Argh!" I grunted, my back hitting the concrete ground. Blood dripped from my knees; they had grazed the walls before I fell.
"So you think I didn't know? You placed the order, asking Jackson to eliminate him on sight."
"How do you know Jackson?" I cried.
"Because he's my assistant." She slammed her fist into my face once more. I endured, trying not to tear up.
No one bothered to react; they kept on walking and working like nothing was wrong. They were minding their business when I was getting beaten; were they even gentlemen?
"Jarvis, what did he do to you?" Tears rolled out of her eyes.
"Why did you decide to kill him? He did everything just for you, made you his own after you seduced him to bed and ditched Artemis, who he had loved dearly." Her breath short and hazy "He blamed himself till death for ever meeting you."
"You're the leader of thieves; why do you care about my love life?"
"Because Jarvis is my elder brother."