Fangs in the Blood

The Francesca Café was an Italian coffee shop on an isolated road, far from the chaos Adam had unleashed. His family wasn't crumbling—no, they were too powerful for that—but they were scrambling. Their empire bled as dark secrets spilled into the light, forcing them into damage control, hunting for the traitors who had exposed them.

And now, Elise was coming.

Not because she knew he was behind it. If she had proof, she wouldn't be meeting him in a café—she'd be handling things the family way. But she suspected. She had to.

Adam had dirt on her, after all. Not the kind whispered in the halls of power, but the kind that, if revealed, could pull her into waters even she couldn't escape.

That was why she was coming. Not for revenge. As far as she was concerned, Adam was merely a whelp she could silence with force if needed. She had no idea that his fangs were already reaching for her throat.

'How can you be so sure she'll show up?'

Arachne's voice slithered into his mind, smooth as silk, sharp as fangs.

'For all her bravado and bluster, she's too proud to back down. Especially against a so-called "mutt" like me~'

'So you're using her own arrogance to pull her in? Haha~! You know them well~'

Adam smirked, taking another sip of coffee. 'When you live among predators long enough, you pick up a few of their tricks.'

Arachne's presence tightened, her amusement curling around his thoughts like unseen threads. 'Oh? So you're hunting predators now? A cute lil' thing like you wants to be an apex predator?'

Adam frowned in disgust at the thought and took a sip of his black coffee. The hot liquid burned as it trickled down his throat.

'Ugh. How do you stomach this bitter swill? It's gross'

'It's an acquired taste…wait! You can taste this?!'

'Of Course. I am linked to each of your senses. I see what you see, smell what you smell and of course taste what you taste!'

Adam had an incredulous but somewhat fearful expression flicker across his face. 

'Well aren't you a terrifying lil Parasite…"

He felt Arachne's presence coil in his mind as it growled back in response. 

'You cur! You dare to call me a Paras—'

Ding

Arachne was interrupted as the door to the café opened with a soft chime, and a sharply dressed woman entered—black hair framing her face, dark brown eyes scanning the room with an expression of undeniable self-importance. 

She carried herself like a queen entering her domain, and her expensive, tailored outfit made it clear she wasn't one to settle for anything less than admiration. Elise had arrived.

She paused at the entrance, her eyes locking on Adam's, and for a moment, an unspoken challenge hung in the air. Then, with slow, deliberate steps, she approached. No words yet. Her presence alone made the air in the room feel stale and heavy.

Adam's expression melted into a sloppy, exaggerated grin. He waved toward her with a dramatic flourish.

"Hey, Sister~! Over here~!"

Elise's face tightened, her lips curling into a barely contained sneer. Seeing him try to act so casually made her skin crawl. She would never be close with the shameful stain of her family. 

"Do not waste my breath, Adam," 

she spat, her voice dripping with disdain. 

"I do not have time to deal with a disgusting mutt like you. Tell me what you want, and then go do your damn job—track down the whistleblower leaking our secrets!"

Her voice turned colder, sharper, a final sting in her words.

"Or are you too busy being a degenerate little hooligan? Is even that too much for you to handle?"

Adam's expression didn't flinch as he tilted his head and calmly replied with a smile 

"No I was just admiring my Sister's aura~! You really have that condescending princess vibe down pat. How about you relax for a minute and have some coffee. This place blends a delicious brew~"

Elise's brow twitched with rage, blinking a couple of times before she growled.

"What did you just say to me brat!"

Adam's smile remained fixed on Elise as he replied

"Sit down SIster. Have a drink. This coffee is almost as bitter as you!~!" 

"Y-You Dare!?!"

Elise raised her hand to slap Adam but froze when he spoke again. 

"Do you want your little secret to see the light of day? Sit.Down."

Adam had a smirk but his voice had grown an edge, causing Elise to falter. She didn't want the secret Adam had to see the light of day. With no other choice. She sat down at the table across from him.

She had never felt so humiliated before and was already thinking about ways to silence Adam for good once she left the cafe. But for now she had to play along. 

"So tell me Adam, what is it that you want for your silence over my little secret? Whatever it is, I will do it!"

"Whatever revenge plan you have brewing in your mind won't work on me Sister~"

Elise's gaze wavered as Adam had seemingly read her mind. Her mouth started flapping open and close, unable to find the words to deny it. 

Adam swirled his drink calmly as he continued to speak in a relaxed manner. 

"You know Sister, you have always been the sloppiest one in the family. You are cruel and heartless, treating the lives of others as mere pawns to further your own ambitions."

"A-And what's wrong with that?! It's the peasants honor to be of use to me and our family!"

Elise could feel her heartbeat quickening, something was horribly wrong but she couldn't figure out what it was. 

"....You also don't think about your actions, the consequences or do any of your homework. There are some things you shouldn't do even as a Samael.."

Elise breath hitched when Adam looked up from his coffee to meet her gaze once again. She saw none of the usual foolishness in his eyes. His gaze was cold. Calculated. 

"That Secretary that you 'dealt' with. You didn't do any digging into her background right?"

"I-I don't know what you are talking about. D-Do you mean the peasant that Jefferey was messing around with? You should be going after him!"

Elise was starting to panic. What could she have missed? What did Adam know that she didn't?

"Jefferey will have his own demons to face. He raped her but you killed her. You framed him so you would have a better chance at becoming the Family Head"

"S-So what?! Are you here to condemn me on Jeffreys' behalf?! It was just one measly secretary! There are dozens more like her!"

Adam sighed, this was the problem with her— no the Samaels as a whole. 

"You still don't get it! To you, everyone else is merely a disposable pawn but each person has a family of their own."

Adam's tone became even colder as rage of his own started to seep into his voice. 

Even that secretary you are so dismissive of. I am here not because of Jeffery but because of her!" 

Adam leaned back in his seat, looking at her with cold amusement, as if he were studying an insect caught in a jar. 

"Do you even remember her name, Sister? The secretary you killed in cold blood? She had a family, Elise. A mother. A father. A boyfriend. A child. Her boyfriend was desperate to find her, her mother kept calling the office, and her father... well, he's been searching for months now.

"And? Just give them money and have them go away! Why do you want to scare me like this?"

Elise had cold sweat dripping down her face, anxiety bubbling up. What was Adam talking about?!

"Oh my sweet Elise. Its not about money. You can't put a price on a life like that. Besides, her father would never agree to such an abhorrent thing."

He chuckled ominously, his shoulders shaking a bit as the soft chime of the door rang out, several suited men walked in, their aura was murderous as they glared at Elise. 

"And who am I to argue with the right for vengeance with a trusted subordinate of Lucius~?"

"L-Lucius?! You don't mean…"

"I mean exactly that Sister. You murdered the only daughter of a man who works for Lucius Gattioni. YOU killed the daughter of a former Mafioso!"

Color drained from Elises face as she rose rapidly from her chair, slamming her hands onto the table, desperation in her eyes as she glanced back at the burly men slowly closing the distance. 

"Adam! Please! PLEASE HELP ME. You will do it for your Big Sister right? Help me. We are family. Family helps each other right?!"

All the bluster was gone as Elise began to babble, begging for Adam to help her on the grounds that she had denied almost her entire life: Family. 

Adams smirk widened into a wide grin as he glared back at Elise. 

"Now why would I do that? I was the one who called them to come and get you~"

The revelation sent a shiver down Elise's spine. He had done what?

The smile on his face was bone chillingly cold and the gleam in Adam's eyes was cold. Dark. Murderous. 

"Now what they do to you now has nothing to do with me. But Personally, I hope they make you Suffer~!"

Elise froze on the spot. She had grown up being called a Monster by those that she had stepped on but looking at Adam now, she could only think those people had been mistaken. He was the true monster. Since when had his act begun. She didn't and would never know.

Adam sipped his coffee leisurely as Elise was dragged away. Her screams and cries were a beautiful melody to his ears.