Chapter 24 DIVA SCHEME
AARON'S POV
"The lady you brought in is handling your men out there," Diego, my personal assistant in the business world, said. I turned to look at Erica, while i was cleaning my silver gun.
I wasn’t surprised. Erica was feisty and she hated disrespect.
"Hmm," I replied, turning back to continue my work. Diego’s gaze remained fixed on me, his eyes wide, like he was watching something unfold before him.
"Look at me that way again, and I’ll pluck your eye out."
He froze, staring at me, then quickly shifted his gaze to the door. His lips parted, but no words came out.
That’s when I felt a sharp sting on my foot. I turned just in time to see Erica, her face squeezed in fury, as she kicked me. I raised an eyebrow, unsure of her motive.
"Asshole," she sneered. "Where is this place?"
"I don’t know," I replied flatly, not breaking my focus as I continued cleaning my gun. The disbelief in her eyes was obvious, and she twitched her lips in annoyance.
She shifted her attention from the gun to me, raising her knee, ready to land a blow to my groin. I sighed. If she landed it, so be it. But I wasn’t going to make it easy. I grabbed her thigh, stopping her mid-motion.
"Haven’t you tried this before?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
She laughed—loud, sharp, and defiant. My men and Diego were staring in disbelief. No one had ever dared to try anything like this with me before. No one ever acted like they could hurt me and live to tell the tale.
I didn’t know why I didn’t kill her on the spot. Maybe I was just curious. Today, I would watch her.
"Take me home," she screamed, folding her arms under her chest. A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth.
"Well, the door’s that way. You can leave," I said.
Erica turned to look, but there was nothing but solid steel. She bit her lower lip, staring at me, her defiance burning bright.
Then, she did something no one else would have dared. Her hands gripped my pants, her fingers wrapping tightly around my belt. My eyes darkened.
"What are you doing?" I demanded.
She smiled....too brightly.
"If you’re going to kill me, then do it. Choke me, or shoot me," she said softly, her voice like silk, but her words laced with challenge. That smile... it was enough to annoy me.
I pressed the barrel of my gun to her head. She stiffened for a moment, but then, to my surprise, she laughed.
"Shoot me," she said, as if daring me. "I’m ready."
A grin curled at the corners of my mouth. "You think I can’t kill you? Just because I didn’t do it before doesn’t mean I won’t now."
"Sure," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do it. I’m tired of living. At least I’ll finally meet Celina. If you kill me, I’ll tell her you did it."
Her words hit me like a slap. Celina? How dare she bring her into this. My finger inched toward the trigger, but just before I could pull it, Diego rushed forward.
"Really? There’s no need to kill her," Diego said, his voice desperate.
I chuckled darkly, not breaking my gaze from Erica.
"Who said there’s no need? I’ll enjoy it," I replied.
But still, something about Erica’s eyes... There was no fear. Just this strange look in her eyes—trust. Trust? Why would she trust someone like me?
I wasn’t someone who deserved trust. I killed people without hesitation. Celina would hate what I’d become. And yet, Erica looked at me like that.
She swallowed hard, her eyes locked onto mine. I stared back for a long moment, and for the first time in a long time, I hesitated.
I pulled the gun away.
"Wasting a bullet on you isn’t worth it," I said, tossing my gun onto the desk.
Erica exhaled with relief, running a hand through her hair as she turned and walked out of the room.
Diego stared at me, his shock palpable.
"What?" I asked, irritation creeping into my voice.
"You let her go," he said, his voice laced with disbelief. "You never do that."
I shrugged, unfazed. "I spare people’s lives all the time."
He wasn’t buying it. Neither were my crew members.
"Boss, are you sure you’re okay?" Tee asked, stepping forward to check my temperature. But my cold stare froze her in her tracks. She stepped back, fear flashing in her eyes.
I glanced at her, my gaze lingering on her ear flushed red. For some reason, I found it amusing at what Erica did
"Get back to work," I ordered, turning on my heel and leaving the room.
GYM ROOM
I gripped the towering pole with my legs, holding myself steady as I did squats. The workout helped clear my mind. It was a way for me to unwind, to feel the burn in my muscles—though it was mostly just a distraction from the chaos of my life.
But then, the door creaked open. Diva stepped in, her usual hesitancy was clear in her posture, her cold demeanor was still unmistakable.
"What do you want?" I asked, not stopping my movements. She didn’t answer immediately. She just stood there, her lips parted as if she were about to speak but found no words.
Instead, she closed the distance between us, her steps confident and fast. I froze, feeling the blood rush to my head, but I stayed in position, defiant. She was fast. Too fast.
Then, her lips landed on mine.
At first, I didn’t move. She didn’t pull away. Her lips shifted, soft and teasing. She wanted more, her tongue pressed against my lips, trying to force its way in. But I wasn’t about to let her.
I bit her lip. Hard.
She pulled away, licking the blood from her lips, a sadistic grin spreading across her face. "You can have everything... just say you want me. Why won’t you see me?" Her voice trembled, shaky, like she was exposing some hidden vulnerability.
I shook my head, my expression cold. "Giving yourself to me won’t make me love you. Value yourself more."
For the first time, I saw her eyes tremble, a brief flash of hurt before she turned and walked away, her shoulders stiff.
I stayed still, the kiss leaving me numb. But something gnawed at me, something I couldn’t quite shake. I kept thinking about it, until my heart skipped a beat. A sharp pain shot through my chest. I fell to the floor, groaning in agony.
Blood poured from my mouth as I coughed. Not just a cough. No. This was different. This was worse.
I chuckled darkly, revealing my blood-soaked teeth.
"So this is how it ends..." I muttered, staring up at the ceiling. Colors swirled above me....bright, disorienting, like I was staring at a kaleidoscope.
How... how fucking cruel, she poisoned me!
I coughed again, the taste of blood heavy on my tongue. My vision blurred, and the ceiling spun faster and faster. The world around me began to fade...
My eyes shut. Slowly.
And then, nothing.