Welcome or not welcome.

With a thoughtful on his face, the Head stared back at those eyes of the child he groomed as his. Of all the girls trained under the special faction of Actresses, Resa was the only one that stood out because of who she was to him. His ultimate weapon but the daring girl knew nothing.

The trainings and teachings he had given her personally were a series of vigorous martial arts techniques both the forbidden and practiced ones.

Her whole being belonged to him and what he had in store for her was going to shake the world.

Masking the joy he felt looking at how far she had grown, the Head of the clan stood to his full height and walked to the window overlooking the back garden, where the olives trees swayed with the wind. Cladded in his favourite black robes he stared at the scenery before, he spoke, "Theresa," he called out and subtly smiled with his back facing her as he knew that she stiffened at the name he called her.

"I didn't train you to become what you are now to start reaping lapses. Most of those missions were highly classified and you know it and I trust only you to be able to carry them out when with the circumstances surrounding it." Turning to face her with serious look she was conversant with, he said," You must remember who you are, now to my main point of why you are here," and seeing the glint in her eyes that showed how curious she was, he frowned and she then straightened up because he hated seeing her showing all her emotions.

"Well, I have another mission for you and it is a very important mission. There will be no form of mistake that will be tolerated. You and your faction will take this one as it is a long term mission. I will be getting monthly reports from you and you will not commune with me only when I do." He finished letting everything he said to sink in.

Without changing her expressions, Resa continued to listen but inside she wanted to scream. What mission was it this time?! Most of all the under world gangs were all under the control of the Black Skull, directly and indirectly and no one dares to go against them as no one understood the extent of their power. Most of the drug cartels here and also in Asia had been closed down though not for the good of the world but for experiments that the clan was running.

The drugs were needed for whatever experiments the Head was cooking up and for the past year she had been trying to get to their root and than disband them all but then no one took it likely and someone discovered her intervention in the process leading to her slowing down the mission but now that everything was under control. And even the old building of the Hawkins, which she successfully secured for him even as she knew that the clan had no business with real estate and all but ignorance was bliss but for now she needed to know the details of the profound and important mission.

Handing her the file that contained all that she needed to know about the mission, the Head walked to the door and said, " Welcome home, Xiang Mey." BANG!!

Really!! She glared hard at the door and sighed as she saw how lean the file was. Looks like she needed to carry out some research on her own and get back to work.

What a way to welcome someone. Was she welcome or not welcome.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Leaving the Head's quarters, Resa strooded down to the meeting hall glad that she didn't come across Master Han again. That man was annoying as can be and definitely gave her the creeps.

Standing the meeting hall that was empty when she arrived now filled with people who probably heard that she was back. She caught sight of the two dimwits who came to get her and they immediately turned the opposite direction after making eye contact with her.

She chuckled at their stupidity as she knew that their punishment still awaits them, as long as she was still here.

As she made her way pass the meeting hall towards the training grounds that was a vast land with different training equipments, but the traditional wooden planks and poles to the wrestling rings and anything you could think of, all that had to do with martial arts. She scrunched her nose in distaste of the smell of sweat and blood. Looked like some of the youngsters were having a face off, glancing at them once, she made her way towards the living quarters and everyone that she passed stopped to greet her.

"Greetings, Young Miss." She nodded.

"Ah, Young M-miss, greetings." some gasped.

She grunted in response. No one forgot the temper of the Young Miss. What was the use of all the looks of surprise? Well no one was expecting her to be here anyways. She expected such, not like she cared of what they thought of her but no one could change the fact that she was the proclaimed daughter of the Head and as such Resa deserved the respect.

She remembered the look of disgust and distaste that they all gave her because of her weakness and temperament then but now all that change after all those of vigorous training that received since was brought here that even able bodied men would find hard to endure.

But no one looked down on her, well not openly except for, "Yo! Young Miss? Is that really you. Oh my, What a surprise!! Xiang Mey, I've missed you!!" came the voice of the self acclaimed bully of Theresa Alessandro even though Resa had beaten the hell out of him even in brains and fists.

Turning to look at the annoying prick behind her, Resa held a passive look on her face as she stared at him. "I see? Unfortunately, I forgot you. If you didn't show me your face I would have even forgotten that you existed." Resa pointed out like it was normal for him to know.

Holding himself not to be riled up by her words, he snorted and said, " Guess the outside world did you a whole lot of good now that you can talk back, huh? " Xiang Yue said taking a threatening step close to her.

"Did you think that I wouldn't be standing before you again after you ran away, hmm? Like a scardy cat that you are. You lost a bet and you are trying to get away to your room now, huh," Xiang Yue taunted her.

Frowning a little, Resa finally remembered the bet that she didn't even take but somehow lost. Some balls this dude had!!

Xiang Yue was a year older than Resa but had always hated her guts because she was different from the rest of them who were actual members of the Xiang bloodline but yet she was favoured.

He always her guts because he felt that she was inferior to him but was good at everything and very impressive, she and her stupid faction but all he had to do was focus on the businesses of the clan except the Black Skull 💀.

Unknown to him, Resa had no interest whatsoever in whatever favour he felt that she had. How ironic that her life was a living hell and yet many still wanted this life. She just wanted to live her life as peacefully as can be, that is if she had a life of her own.

Still towering over her with his great height, he looked at her with a mocking gaze.

Resa stared back at him with disinterest and a bit of amusement in her eyes. Resa was petite compared to girls her age, and so Yue always took advantage as a six foot six to tower over her but at the back of his mind he knew when to stop.

Resa dropped her head and hid a smile that threatened to break out and craned her head to stare at Yue.

Resa raised her hand making the onlookers to gasped out and look forward to the beating that Xiang Yue was about to get or how he was going to defend himself as many have seen how strong he had become just that it was a waste as he wasn't part of any factions but into business.

Even Yue stood alert ready to defend himself even if he couldn't beat her up but all he got was a pat on his head and then another. Wait!! Was she patting him like a pet?!

"I see you have haven't still grown up now, have you?" Resa broke the silence with a smile on her face that wasn't a smile, sliding her hand down to his arm, she added pressure, digging her nails into his arm as she earlier noticed that he was having discomfort in his upper arm and sure enough he had an injury there from training.

Taking a little step closer she warned in a voice audible for only them, " Try this stupid game one more time and I promise you, your jaw will become so slack, you won't have the time to talk to me anymore." Resa finished with a cold glare in her eyes.

Seeing the look of fear that flashed from his eyes to the smugness that returned as he tried to hide the pain that he felt from his injury, Resa smirked. The bitch!! Of course she would have noticed that!

Stepping away from her, he raised his chin at her and stormed off in anger and shame but still tried to continue his proud walk with his lackeys following closely.

'So lame, ' tsked Resa at his back and turning her gaze to the onlookers that continued to stare, she gave them a look that said ,' Scram!! '.

Heaving a sigh of relief, she unlocked her room using her room using her biometrics. Her room was like a normal looking apartment just simplified for a single person though she didn't do much in the room.

Before she could step her foot inside the room, she heard the voice or rather voices that she was avoiding so that she could at least take a nap before meeting them.

"Resa!!!" screeched the red haired girl who was all smiles like she had seen her favourite candy.

"Not now!" Resa groaned.

"Look who we have here, " came the voice of the Amazon of the clique.

" Hey! Sam, stop standing in front of me. Not cool, I wanna see her too. " Moving to the other side she eyed her," So huge and tall." Cheryl complained as Sam continued to stand in front of her to greet Resa.

Holding herself from bursting over in anger from the fact that she hadn't even rested from all these missions and even the flight back here. Seriously!!

" Hey, guys! I was thinking of comhgh....," Resa turned to face them with an annoyed smile to show that she really wasn't in the mood but Sam wasn't having any of it instead she engulfed her in a bear hug, that had her gasping for breath.

"Woah, way to go , Sam, I came first!" Cheryl groaned at the side with an annoyed look on her face as she was quite helpless in this situation.

" Put. me. down. Sam. Can't breathe," Resa struggled to say as she felt that her feet were already off the ground.

Immediately, she was free, Cheryl came crashing at her as well whining as ever, " I missed you so much, Ressy, don't go away anymore, hmm?" Cheryl asked as she looked at her.

"At least let her say something before asking her not to go away now, will you? " Sam asked still looking at Resa.

" Well, I am right here, ain't I? And will soon be gone anyways," seeing the look on their faces she gave a hand sign, ' mission' and seeing the look on their faces, she nodded and said, " I was going to come meet you guys but I wanted to take a nap and rest but guess l can't, where's Lisa."

" Busy in lab as always." Sam replied.

" You didn't ask of Roxy? " Cheryl asked.

" I know that she is in the middle of a video game competition at the moment so I didn't bother, " Resa answered.

" Oh, how did you know. " Sam asked surprised because if word got out, Roxy was gonna be in big trouble.

"Well, I needed help with something and I kinda interrupted something and she yelled and warned me not to disturb her after she helped me though." Resa answered.

" Well, why don't you go ahead and rest, we will catch up later?" Sam said, seeing how thin and tired she looked. Sigh, out of the five of them, Resa was the one mostly on the field and even when they all worked together, she was mostly in charge.

She looked pretty beat and injured and needed serious rest. No one knew her special connection to the Head for her to be highly favored in such a way but none of them liked it because it was very straining on her as a person.

A genuine smile graced her lips as she looked at them. These were the ones that she considered family in her life. Even when everything seemed tough being with them was all it took for her to feel better cause they were all she had.

Returning the smile that brought out Resa's feminine features in her face well, Cheryl said," Okay, Ressy, we will see ya later,okay, have a good rest. We will be in the den." Cheryl said as they walked away from her room.

Resa entered the room and sensing her presence , the automated voice of her annoying AI and virtual assistant greeted her," Welcome home, Resa."

"Shut up, Smarty." hissed Resa.

Slapping the file in her hand on the table in front of her, she went to the fridge,uncapped a bottle of water and gulped down its content. Heaving a sigh, she stared at the file and reading her role in the mission, spurted out the water in her mouth.

WHAT THE HECK!!