CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

Rosetta's Pov

"So sad you were paired with this loser, Asher," a group of bulky men hit me on the way as they headed to the announcement room. I fell back on Asher's arm but he was quick to push me away and I hit my back on the wall.

It hurt. Too much, but I pretended it didn't, and I bounced back to my feet, a frown clouding my face.

Face your fears, was the literal theme of my coming here and I wouldn't let this asshole see me as weak.

"Someone's gonna be dead if we get disqualified…" Asher muttered and I rolled my eyes.

Who does he think he is? 

I rephrased my thoughts. Asher was whoever he thought he was. A gun to my father's head, this man deserved the fear people had for him. And now that he despised me too, there was no way I wasn't going to get the same gunshot in my brain if he got to his threshold.

But still…

Training all these while with Zayn. Years in prison and now a Don heist competition, I would be strong and bold enough to also point a gun at Asher, my greatest enemy.

Now disqualification was almost at its peak. The only thing that could break all my defenses. 

I hated that I would be disqualified, but if it meant taking Asher down with me, I didn't mind a bit.

"Not like you need all the fame and money that comes with this. I would be the one to kill you myself if we get disqualified." I threatened.

"I'd like to watch you do that" he grazed my body with the corner of his eyes. His eyes gave the "you're not enough or 'you wouldn't dare' look.

That confidence he had, I wanted it also, so I could also gaze at him and Zayn and say they were nothing compared to me. I wanted all the power I could gather.

As we walked into the announcement room, the thought of my name being called and then taking my belongings out of this competition made my heart race.

Kyler would be very much disappointed in me if I lost this opportunity all because I couldn't hold my hate for a few weeks. I needed this better than Asher, but I was barely in control of my feelings whenever he was around.

I needed to transfer all my aggression and hate that I had for Zayn to Asher because he was the mastermind behind all my reasons for revenge.

This way, I would be driven by revenge and competition. 

As we walked back into the announcement room, the chaos increased while other groups spoke about how they did well in the task, while others whined about not having enough time for this.

I looked around to see that I had no one that was like Asher and I, who lost because we didn't have any cooperation. It reminded me that everyone in here was serious about what they were here for and my heart skipped at the thought of not having more opportunities after today.

"Sit," Asher said, pulling out a seat for me.

"Why?" I frowned, he also had a deep frown on his face to match mine. I glanced at the chair he was holding out and saw ut was broken. "Oh, nice try" I kicked the chair and it broke. The stares at us increased, but they soon turned back. 

"We might have used the excuse of you breaking a bone and getting another chance, but you chose not to sit down"

He rolled his eyes and then smirked, going to find a better seat for himself. I scoffed in disbelief. He wanted to just end this, to end me.  

"Settle down, please" the announcer's voice boomed through the hall again. I searched for a seat and ended up sharing a seat with a slender participant. However, we were in the middle of bulky men who stared at me down.

"Please find a seat with your partner," the announcer said again, his eyes fixed on me like he knew I wasn't in the right place.

I stood up from where I was, scanning the room for a seat, not minding the stares at me. As I moved to find an empty seat near Asher, someone spanked my ass.

I froze on the spot and turned back to look at the dumbass who just did that. My eyes met the man, a man more mature than I was, about Zayn or Kyler's age.

"You don't just expect me to keep looking at you swinging your ass like that" he smirked and laughed with his group of friends.

"Dear, old man" I pulled his hair on his head so hard it could peel off his scalp, and I stared directly into his eyes as I watched him groan in pain. "Don't you dare…do that…to me!" His group of friends stood up in a defensive stance, rolling their shorts above their arms, showing their muscles.

Before I could react, one of the first landed…

"Can you postpone this?" I heard Asher's gruff voice behind me as he held on to the guy's fist tightly. "Beat her up, please she needs some lessons, but after the announcement alright?" He asked more like he ordered.

They turned up satisfactorily but listened. Asher dragged me away from. The scene, putting me in the seat beside him

Like he had been waiting for us after the chaos  the announcer's voice boomed again.

"Now, we would announce the names of the losers…" he stretched the last word and my heart skipped. 

He mentioned the number of the group and when they came outside, I saw that it was one of the men that almost hit me. He was disqualified with his partner and for some reason I was excited.

"That's so sad…" Asher made a side comment. " I was waiting to see all your face swollen"

I rolled my eyes, my fingers crossed, but all till the end. Asher and I were not called. We were not disqualified. How?