Chapter 1: The beginning

When Ariana looks in the mirror, all she sees is blood, cuts, and bruises. She can only classify herself as awful looking; perhaps she wouldn't look that bad if she didn't have all these horrific gashes.

She has always been this way for as long as she can remember. She recalls the day when

her worst nightmare began.

Flashback.

Her brother had come back home exactly three days before. He's been drinking for a few weeks now. She tried to stop him, but he just pushed her away, locked his room door, and drank all night. Her good old loving stepbrother seemed to be drifting away slowly.

She was lost in her thoughts until the door thumped open and Jade tripped in, nearly falling on the rug in front of the door. She dashed to his side and took his arm in hers.

"Jade, you're drunk again. Didn't I tell you so many times that it's bad for your health? I'm here too, I lost them too, but have I ever considered drinking alcohol as a solution?" "Jade, you have to understand. Mom and Dad wouldn't like you in this condition-"

"Shut up, you stupid b*tch! You're not even my sister!! You're just an adopted daughter!! You don't know what mom and dad like! You're the main cause for everything. You led their damn accident, so shut up and go starve to death in your hole," he snarled.

Each of his words pierced her heart like a sword. She wasn't even realizing what was going on around her because she was convinced it was all her mistake. It was her fault that they were no longer with them. Then Ariana felt a sudden hurt on her right cheek.

He slaps her. Her brother, who is meant to protect and care for her, raised his hands to her. Jade no longer accepted her as his sister, then another hit she felt, and so on until she felt nothing. But maybe she deserves all of this. Because she killed them. She killed her foster parents.

The flashback is over.

All of this has happened regularly since then. He'd wake up lightheaded in the morning, beat her to death, and then order her to make his porridge and black coffee, even though she's a second late, he'd put a knife and make cuts all over her body except her face, he'd never hit her in the face again just because she went to school and university and no one should know his doings. If he didn't like something she made, he'd start chucking her and run away. She was already living in hell, she wants to run away but she don't know yet where she can go. Then He'd return later in the night, drunk to the gills, and beat her up again before going to sleep.

It was as if he took out all his distress by inflicting pain on her. And she didn't say anything because she thought she deserved it.

She was currently in front of SM corporation for an interview for her job as a PA. She has been looking for work for a few months. She needs to pay her expenses because her beloved brother used all of the money she earned from her part-time job to fund his alcohol and gambling addiction. She couldn't even pay her college fees, so she had to drop out. That is why she requires a well-paying job.

Ariana then took a deep breath and looked around. Across the street is a large building with glass walls and the words SM CORPORATION in huge bold print on the top.

She then walks across the street and into the building. As she approaches the reception area, she notices a blonde girl in her late twenties wearing a tight and short skirt and a crop top that barely covers her boobs.

When she was in front of her, she cleared her throat once. She was preoccupied with her phone. She looked up and scanned her up and down before giving her a disgusted look.

"What?" she spits out, raising her brows at her.

"Um... I'm here for my interview as the HR management's PA," she said nervously.

"The interviews have all been canceled, and you are free to leave," she said, cutting her off. She looked at her in disbelief. She was so ecstatic and needy for this job that it had to happen. She was about to ask why the interviews were canceled when a deep voice interrupted her.

"Hello, sweetie," she said before turning to see who it was.

~

Santi opened his eyes to find sunlight piercing them. When he turned around, he saw a girl lying on the ground on the other side. He rolled his eyes and jolted her awake by gently tapping her shoulder, rather roughly, he must admit. But these who*res don't get it; they're just a one-night stand, and he's not interested in spending more time with them.

She sniffled and blinked slowly open her eyes. She gave him an alluring smile and felt like puking right then and there.

"Baby," she cooed as if she were a fictitious cat approaching his side, and she jumped off the mattress.

"Look, girl, you were amazing for the night, but I don't want anything more to do with you, so please get out of the room. Farewell," he said as he dashed off to the restroom.

Later that afternoon, he had to attend meetings with his SM corporation company because they were planning to expand and collaborate with other companies. This corporation was given to his father.

But first, he must attend to some other matters. He chuckled as he considered it. He went down to the basement of his office building, which has a secret door that only he and his cousin, Richard, have access to open.

It's a basement/torture facility where he brutally executes all of his opponents.

They have a new prisoner today, one of his men who betrayed him; he's the supreme leader, and he's going to show him what happens when someone betrays him.

He enters the room where he is bound with heavy chains and has already been badly beaten, but he isn't satisfied with that. He had instructed Nikko, his devoted right-hand man, to prepare some cords and ice cubes.

He notices that those items are kept on hand in the room. He takes the cords, which are already attached to the circuit board, in his hand.

"No! No! No! Santi, please forgive me. I was just distracted by the money, and I dare say I won't do it again. Please Santi!" the man begs, but Santi just smirks and doesn't respond. He snaps his fingers and puts a ball of fabric in his mouth, trying to point at Nikko. He wouldn't want his employees to hear anything about it.

He strapped the cords to his legs, and his barely audible screams can be heard throughout the room.

He scrunched up his brow so even though he hadn't done anything yet. He then unplugged the wires and stuffed the entire container of ice cubes into his pants. When he hears his screams, he grinned with delight. He draws a circle on his chest with his favorite knife. He pulled his gun from the drawer and aimed it at the meeting point of the circle.

He shot the bullet after glaring at me and saying, "May you die peacefully." Once.Twice. And he's out like a light. He sighs and motions for them to clean it up.

Later, he left for the meeting as he approached Mia, the receptionist, who is both a fine and a wild girl. He noticed she was talking to a girl whose face he couldn't see, but he could tell she was short and dressed hideously.

"Hey, sweetheart!" he exclaimed as he turned to face the girl. And he turned to face her. "F*ck! she's so f*cking beautiful, and my d*ck is becoming harder."